Brandy
by McGeesJabberwock
Summary: *AU* A teenage girl finds herself in an unfamiliar place, not in the Amazon, but in another world. A world which not only strips visitors of their humanity...but their sanity as well.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: **This used to be two short stories, but for Halloween, I've combined them and added some new scenes to a) make the combination more seamless and b) to continue the weird story.

Also, some bits of this won't make sense without having read my earlier one-shot 'Alice in Otherworld'.

**Warning: **This contains scenes of sex, violence, alcohol abuse and insanity. Also, if you're a fan of Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, I'm not really sure you'll like this story. There's some OOCness and perversion of the characters and themes. But, if you _are_ a BaMW fan, and _like _this story, please tell me. If you don't like it, still tell me (I get too much mindless praise and not enough criticism).

Anyway, enjoy the story!_

* * *

_

_"In THAT direction," the Cat said, waving its right paw round, "lives a Hatter: and in THAT direction," waving the other paw, "lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad."_

_"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. _

_"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." _

_"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice. _

_"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."_

_Lewis Carroll_

**Chapter 1**

"Hey there. Brandy here."

"Hey."

"So, Lorenzo, where do you think we'll go on our date tonight?"

"Well, you know, I was thinking of, maybe, going to the beach at night, enjoy the scenery..."

"That idea would be _wonderful_. I could use a change of scenery here. I _fucking_ hate this place."

"OK..."

"Sorry if I got a bit angry, but seriously though. My own mother's a fucking whore, bringing in those stupid guys to her house in order to pay for our food..._did you just laugh_?"

"No. No, I didn't. Please continue."

"Anyway, I hate that...that...sorry, sorry..."

"Um, what about your father?

"Aren't you going to...oh."

"Yes...and if that wasn't bad enough I've got to live in this damn apartment with some drugged-up bums and an alleyway where some guy got a bullet through his head last week."

"Oh..."

"I want to get out of here, Lorenzo. I'm _so_ desperate...all I want is someone to love. Someone to take me out for long walks, someone to hug me and kiss me, that sort of sentimental crap. I don't to end up like _her_. Geez, I swear I'm going to kill...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"So...11:00pm at the beach, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you there then. Bye."

Brandy gulped down the last of her Dr. Pepper, ended the phone call and slumped herself down on her bed, pondering as her eyes were fixed on that lightbulb.

Life was _hell_.

Having constantly being awaken by the blaring of police sirens in the middle of the night, the knowledge that someone died in your general area, your guardian being a _prostitute_; someone expected her to _cope_ with all that?

Brandy fiddled with her dirty blonde hair as she considered what she was doing. What if this didn't end successfully, what if it was like last time?

Last time...

No, perish the thought. It won't be like that, it won't be like that at all. There are nice boys out there, aren't there? Lorenzo is probably a nice boy, he won't do what What's-His-Name did, right?

Right?

She decided not to dwell too much on the subject, so she placed a set of headphones on her head, playing heavy metal loudly in a feeble attempt to escape reality.

* * *

Lorenzo grinned.

He lay down on his bed, strewn with various issues of his favourite magazines, arms smugly behind his back. He grinned, he always grinned at opportunities like this

He had found _another_ girl, thus meaning he wasn't going to spend Saturday night sitting around on his ass watching TV again. Oh, and this girl had _angst_ as well; that just made her more _interesting_. She needed him. If he didn't come to her rescue, she would pretty much die. More to accomplish.

He stared at his wristwatch and began to count down every second.

* * *

Brandy took a hot shower, felt the warm water spray all over her body, then dressed herself in a light grey tank top, a pair of jeans with intentional holes and a pair of brown sandalls. Not really much for a romantic outing, but it's not like Lorenzo would care.

She didn't really have to worry about her mother noticing her leaving the house, when she had said nothing about her outing. Mother had a 'guest' over, and she would be too occupied to bother about Brandy.

She actually saw the guest; this one came _shirtless_, with...nipple piercings. Best to forget he existed.

As Brandy left the flat she inhabited, letting a gasp of wind wash over her, she was reminded of how much she hated going outside. Just catching a bus in this area was unsettling. The streets were littered with broken bottles and other assorted rubbish. The only sources of light were the streetlights, and the neon signs decorating the stores. Flamboyant graffiti spelling out curse words and various ramblings decorated the brick walls. Brandy even took a moment to read some of them before continuing with her journey, just to wonder what sort of person would write stuff like this.

After reading the dirty jokes and nonsense that dominated the walls, she came across more prostitutes, looking casual under streetlamps. They glared at Brandy. That was the only movement they made.

She walked past a man standing on the pavement, wrapped in a brown coat, selling newspapers. What an anachronism he was. A story about missing people on the increase. Everything's on the increase.

She viewed hobos, some sleeping on makeshift beds of newspapers (or urine), and some drunken, dancing in front of her. She would actually feel empathy for these creatures if they weren't so disgusting.

It was appropriate that they were disgusting though. Oh yes, what a disgusting city, what a disgusting home.

She barely noticed the man darting down the streets.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

He ran, ran down the streets, dodging bystanders, his light brown trench coat billowing like a sail, sweat slowly trickling down his body. He held on to his fedora as he dashed down the city; that thing cost him quite a lot. He did knock over a few people and was yelled at, but he paid no attention. The only thing that was present on his mind was the escape from…

_It_.

He had no idea what it was or how to even begin describing it. Well, he knew whatever it was, it was definitely not human and that it was after him.

_FASTER!_

He forced his legs to run faster, to help him escape the grasp of…whatever that thing was. Faster, faster, but alas, he fell. He slipped on some ice in the pavement, causing him to fall face first onto the cold paving stone. Rubbing his forehead in pain, he reached for his fedora and hoped he still had some chance of…

Oh no.

It had finally caught up with him, and now it was standing right before him. It looked like it was made out of ink; a shapeless creature as black as ebony. It rose into the air and dived upon its hapless victim, completely engulfing the poor soul in its fabric.

It should have been an eyesore; everybody should have noticed the surreal occurrences. But, no, nobody saw it. They just stared at the man with condescending glares as he lay screaming on the streets, and didn't even notice when he disappeared.

And his screaming ended the minute he reached his destination.

The shadow…the creature…whatever it was had taken him to this…this graveyard. The cemetery is meant as a place of honour, where families and friends come to pay their final respect to their lost loved ones. However, this description did not come to mind when he arrived at the site in question. In fact, he was reminded of all the ghost stories about zombies and creatures rising from their tombs. Each gravestone seemed like a stone goblin, hiding beneath the overgrown grass, ready to pounce and strike fear...

"Step forward!" bellowed a voice that only he could hear.

He did not move. He did not speak. He could barely breathe.

"_Step forward_!"

At that minute, he actually did as he was told, walking in a mechanical fashion towards the inky figure, as his coat danced in the wind. As he approached the living shadow, he noticed more humans surrounding it, trembling in fear.

"Who are…are…" the man asked, attempting to get his phrase out of his mouth.

"I have so many names," the thing replied, "but _who_ I am is not important. It's _what_ I am. I can bring you _eternal_ prosperity and bliss, but you have to pass one simple test. First, you perform one simple task. Then, you must never betray me but follow me _always_. That shouldn't be too hard." It slunk closer to the man. "Now that I've introduced myself, how about you? Who are you?"

The man gulped. "I…I…"

"You? Who are you?"

"My name," he answered, "is Gaspar."

* * *

The beach at night was such a contrast to her hometown. The moon's reflection in the rippling waves, the stars in the night sky looking down on her from above, the sand beneath her feet. A scene from a cheap romance novel.

"Hey there."

Lorenzo was on the shore, turning towards Brandy as he removed a cigarette from his lips. He stood tall and thin, his greasy black hair and leather jacket making him look like a reject from _Grease_.

Brandy stood as still as he did, shivering a bit from the chilly night air. "Hello."

"Come here."

Brandy did as Lorenzo commanded, slowly walking towards him. He reached for her.

"Brandy Harrington?"

Out of the shadows emerged a cloaked figure, no more than four foot tall. It called Brandy's name again as it approached her.

Lorenzo turned towards the small creature. "Who the hell are you?"

"Get away from her."

"Why should..."

"_Now._"

Of course, Lorenzo wasn't going to listen to some little prick that just came out of nowhere.

"Listen, you...whatever you are. I don't know wh..."

He fell to the ground.

He just fell.

All it did was touch him and he just fell.

"Don't worry. He's not dead." It paused for a moment. "And besides, you should thank me. You don't want to know what he had planned for you." Its voice sounded somewhat high-pitched and comical, making what it had to say seem awkward.

Brandy turned to the figure with a mixture of confusion, curiosity and even anger.

"What's going on? Who are you?"

The cloaked figure bowed like a Victorian gentleman.

"I," it said, "am your salvation."

"Brandy." It held her hand. "I know what you're going through. I know you're suffering. I know you despise that rancid hell-hole you inhabit. I know you don't want to live with that...that..._mother_ of yours."

Brandy had no idea of what this creature was, what he was talking about, or how he knew these things. Part of her wanted to run away and forget she ever met this figure, but she was still curious about what it had to say, so she stayed on the beach, listening to its every word.

As the figure continued talking, it grabbed Brandy by the shirt and brought her face closer to its own.

"I can help you. I can give you...escape."

Escape?

"What are you talking about? What do you mean? What are you doing?"

She blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The second Gaspar told the creature his name, it actually grew an appendage. A thin arm that stretched out of its form like a rubber band, fingers like spider legs wrapping themselves around Gaspar's neck. While the fingers felt like hot coals, about to roast Gaspar to a crisp, it also filled his entire body with an intense cold.

"You must be cleansed."

"C-c-cleansed?"

"Yes! This is why I pursued you. You are a sinner and you must be cleansed."

"W-why?" Gaspar croaked, "I'm just a _small-time_ hood. I'm really only doing this for the _money_.."

"I'll get to the top eventually. Oh, and do you have one of those 'nicknames' those hoods use so often?"

"Yes! My…my nickname's Gecko."

It was when his lips had completely formed the last syllable when Gaspar found himself in yet another surreal surrounding. He was deep within what looked like a medieval torture chamber, with rusty chains hanging from the ceiling and chilling winds emitting from nowhere. He was strapped down to the damp stone floor, his upper body without any clothing, covered in – what else?

Geckos. Thousands of them, crawling all over his body. He felt their wet, slippery scales all over his skin, all over his _face_. He shut his eyes tightly, eagerly awaiting the ordeal to be over, but although he couldn't see, he swore that the lizards had multiplied. Did he feel their _blood_ oozing all over his exposed chest? He had a strange urge to open his eyes, and he did so, discovering that the reptiles were now animated corpses, with exposed bones, muscle, and missing eyeballs. _Oh hell, make it stop. _It only took the blink of an eye to transform the zombie lizards into _skeletons_, the slime of their scales replaced with the coldness of naked bone. Gaspar opened his mouth in horror, without a single scream or cry for help. The moment his mouth gaped open, the skeletons saw this as a chance to enter Gaspar's body and they fled within his stomach. When they did, it didn't feel like there were animals crawling within Gaspar's stomach, it felt as if another human being had entered his body and was attempting to get out. _MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOP_

It appeared the geckos had disappeared. A six foot human skeleton had burst out of Gaspar's stomach, with fresh saliva dripping down its mouth. It turned around and laughed maniacally in Gaspar's face.

He felt the pain. The excruciating, horrific, vicious pain…

But he didn't die.

He _didn't_ die.

He just lay there, awaiting for the pain to be over.

Thankfully, the torment was soon concluded, and Gaspar found himself face to face (in some way) with the figure made of blackness.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!"

Gaspar was immediately whacked in the face, which felt like a thousand needles digging into his skin.

"**SILENCE! **You will not speak like that to me!"

"Yes sir."

"I know what you want. I know that you want your life to take a turn for the better. You want a better life; love, entertainment, wealth, fulfilment, the usual things. All these and more can be yours, Gaspar, only if you complete a few more tests…"

"I've had enough…"

"Not _now_. I will give you time away from me, just so you can prepare, but I will be back, with a lot more in store. It'll all be worth it."

He sat in the gutter, sitting in a grimy puddle, hardly paying any attention to his surroundings.

"Hey, Gecko."

He languidly came to. "Yes…"

"C'mon, we got work to do! We don't want ya lying in the gutter like a fucking bum all day!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was miles away…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Brandy blinked her eyes open and found herself staring into the light of the rising sun. She groggily rose from the ground as she looked at the rippling waves in front of her.

The beach looked absolutely wonderful when the morning sun rose from the distance, it's glow reflected in the cascading waves. Brandy took a few moments to languidly stare, but she had to get back home, no matter how easier on the eyes this place was. She even had sand in her fur...

Fur?

She peered into her reflection in the water and...

A dog peered right back at her.

She still kept her humanoid structure and clothes, but she was now a canine, with golden brown fur, ears that resembled her human hair and a tail poking out of her behind.

She wanted to look away from her reflection, but she couldn't help but stare in awe at the canine mutation she had become. She finally forced herself away from her own strange visage, then turned around and saw that she was further away from home then she thought. Before her was a large rainforest, with several shades of green, trees that seemed to reach to the heavens and a gigantic mountain which towered over the whole spectacle.

Brandy didn't know what was going on, why she was a dog, or where she was, but as she stared at the rainforest in front of her, she couldn't help but whisper 'Wow.' As she approached this jungle paradise, she couldn't help but be reminded of the dank, dingy underworld she had to endure, as this place was the exact opposite. The overpowering flats and messy streets were replaced with natural beauty, and the absence of the hobos and drunkards was a relief.

That's it. She was going to stay here. Her mother, those drug-dealers, those murderes, What's-His-Name, everyone from that place would never find her here.

Her own little world.

* * *

The snake slithered towards the great temple, leaving 's' shapes in the dirt as she did so.

All she could do was slither.

She couldn't walk. She couldn't run. She couldn't even reach out to touch anything.

All she could do was slither.

She made her way between the two toucans guarding the stone staircase, who saluted at her presence. Making her way upstairs in her present form was a painful chore, and it was no better when she had to slither down the rough stone corridors, lit only by flaming torches. She passed through an archway, and entered _his _room.

The room he resided in didn't really look like something you'd expect to see in a jungle. Hesat in one of two elegant red armchairs, in front of a roaring fireplace, beneath a picture of dogs playing poker. Behind him were bookshelves, filled with good light reading on dull days.

But in the center of the room was his prized possession: a gift they gave him. What was lying on a small wooden table was a glass eye. When he clutched it tightly, he could search the world for specimens that would be...interesting.

"Whiskers?"

He turned around, smiling at the snake. He was a biped rabbit, with white fur, a red nose and pink eyes. He wore a navy blue jacket with matching trousers, a light blue shirt and a black tie; a perfect attire for a leader.

"Lola, I keep telling you: call me _father_."

Lola sighed. "Fine."

"Sit."

Lola crawled onto the second armchair to face Whiskers.

"Now, Lola, I'm here to tell you that today, I have brought a new 'visitor'."

Lola grimaced at him. "Not again."

"Lola, I have a feeling that this visitor is _special_. That it was my _destiny_ to find her."

Lola whacked the arm of her chair with her tail. "Stop this, _please_."

"You ungrateful little...I took you in when no-one else would. I sent you away from that despicable little world you were born in and sent you to this _utopia_. You should be thanking me, you know."

Lola let out a burst of angry laughter. "_Thanking_ you? You turn me into a snake and expect me to _thank you_?"

"Your old father was a herpetologist and died due to a snake bite. I made you that way as a reminder of your past parents."

Whiskers grabbed Lola off her chair and led her down the corridor to another room. There, another snake was nailed to the wall, dripping with blood.

"Look, Lola, I did this for you. Remember what he did to you when he took ou to the prom? Remember when you had to go to the _abortion clinic_? His deed didn't go unpunished, you know."

"You're...you're..."

Whiskers held Lola tightly. "Lola, the main reason I made this world was for _your_ sake."

Lola said nothing in response.

"Now, I am going to let my latest 'visitor' explore my world for a while, then, when I tell you too, take her here to meet me."

Lola just slithered away.

All she could do was slither.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

After much walking, Brandy had come across a large watering hole, with the breath-taking sight of a gigantic waterfall and tropical bushes surrounding the area. It was there she came face to face with the first life form she had seen since she came here.

It was a river otter, casually relaxing on a rock with its tail dangling in the water. Brandy could tell the otter was in the same boat as her, by the fact this otter was about five foot tall, and was wearing a white wife-beater and a pair of denim shorts.

"Um, hello there." Brandy sat next to the otter and splashed some water in her face to cool herself down."I'm...Brandy."

"Well, hello there, Miss Brandy." Brandy was shocked by the fact the otter spoke, even though she was expecting it. "I'm Ed." Ed kicked his feet in the water a bit before turning back to Brandy. "I suppose you're a newbie, and you have no idea what's going on?"

Brandy couldn't really bring herself to answer. It was almost impossible to believe she was talking to some anthropomorphic creature wearing clothes. Hearing an animal talk in cartoons may be amusing, but in real life, it's disturbing.

"I can't fully answer that question myself," Ed continued, "but I do know that this island is run by this weirdo...Whiskers I think he's called."

"Whiskers?"

"Yeah, he's been bringing people here, and he's been saying that he wants to give them a better life or something. I don't really understand it myself."

Brandy actually managed to bring herself to reply at that moment. "But why is he turning them into animals?"

Ed shrugged. "I don't have all the answers."

What followed was a brief moment of silence between the two.

"Just out of interest, what was it like before you came here?"

Ed glared at her angrily. "What's it to you?"

"Just...curious."

Ed grumbled under his breath. "Leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it."

Brandy shrugged again and just walked away, while wondering how this ordeal could get any stranger.

Ed peered into the water and stared at his reflection as he remembered why he was brought here. He remembered his wife...the fight...she was screaming, screaming and shouting...she actually threatened him...left him...took the kids..._she took the kids why oh why did I deserve it?..._

He remembered being left with no other option but to make friends with the bottle.

He could never really decide whether or not being turned into an otter and living in this place was better than his human life. He still couldn't believe he was stuck on an island ruled by an insane dictator who claimed he wanted to make everyone's lives better. Maybe he had an ulterior motive?

* * *

_The child stared out the window, watching the raindrops rapidly fall and stain the glass. He had nobody. Nobody to hug him, nobody to care for him, nobody to tell a story or sing a lullaby… _

_Nobody. _

_He didn't want to bother daddy. Daddy had a visitor. Daddy didn't like being bothered. _

_That left him in his room, alone… _

_With his adventures. _

_Before mommy went away, she had left him something. A big fat bunny toy, with a big jolly smile, awaiting to take him away. _

_He would be taken to a land of adventure and wonder, away from this evil kingdom of monsters and witches and misery. _

_Away from daddy. _

_Daddy, who's never there. _

_Daddy, who hits him. _

_Who then hits him again. _

**_AND AGAIN. _**

_Stop it Daddy you're hurting me._

Oh shit. The memories again.

This world was supposed to help erase those pesky memories from his cranium, and yet they were still as pervasive as ever. Damn things.

He thought those memories would fade away as soon as he moved into the suburbs. That was supposed to be a bright, cheerful place where he could have a new life and move on. Yes, it did appear quite nice at first, and he remembered being somewhat friendly with the neighbours. There was that old woman, who made such nice apple pies, and whose granddaughter was friendly with Lola. There was that guy too, who had a vegetable garden. A vegetable garden would be nice here, wouldn't it? Oh yes, and there were two boys as well, two ambitious boys. Didn't they have a pet platypus?

Yet it still failed to truly satisfy. All those people, they seemed nice, but he was certain they had a nastier side. He was probably the only person who didn't. That world was nasty and that incident with Lola and Victor proved it.

They understood. The forces of the Otherworld, the realm shaped by the mind. They gave him this world, and he did what they wanted him to do with it. This world was better, but still not complete. It needed something.

He _needed_ Brandy.

He needed her, right here, right now. She was a kindred spirit, someone he could spend days talking with, someone to keep him company. He once thought he had found that person in Lola, that innocent young woman he had adopted when she was thirteen, but he was beginning to _lose interest_.

She just didn't understand.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_"Lola, come here! Lola!"_

_She made her way to the living room, where her father was busy at work on another of his drawings._

_"Look, Lola..."_

_He showed her another of his drawings: a rainforest scene, complete with a giant waterfall, and palm trees._

_"You showed me one of those yesterday..." she told him._

_"But don't you know what this is, Lola?" he replied, "This is the world I've been promised. The world they want to give me. The world I see in my dreams. The world where everything is better. Some day, they'll take us there, both of us, you and me."_

_She rolled her eyes again. Recently, she had continually heard her father say these lines over and over again. She didn't know what it meant, why he was saying those things or who 'they' were supposed to be, but she didn't believe it for a second._

_She walked out of the room, and could hear her father calling to her:_

_"We will go there. We will live there away from this horrid hellhole we call Earth._

_We will." _

_

* * *

_

"You!"

Brandy turned around and came face to face with Lola.

"Yes," Lola continued, uncertainty in her voice, "I've been sent to collect you. Whiskers wants to see you."

Brandy's eyes widened in shock. This disturbed her, for two reasons. Firstly, she found the talking snake a disturbing sight. Snakes are unnerving enough with their unblinking eyes, their forked tongues, and slithering, but hearing one talk was too much. Also, she feared what Whiskers had planned for her. Nevertheless, she actually brought herself to talk back to Lola.

"So, you're Whiskers' errand runner?"

"Perhaps..."

"Perhaps?"

"I don't have time to ask questions. Just follow me."

After much walking, or slithering in Lola's case, they came across Whisker's abode. It was your classic stone grey temple resting upon a flight of steps, like those you would expect to see in a movie.

Brandy wanted to enter; she needed answers, but she just didn't know what she was going to do. Maybe she should be thanking Whiskers for thinking enough to deliver her from that city she hated so much, or shaking him by the throat until he explains what he's doing, or perhaps Whiskers was a despot and she was brought here to be tormented...and..and...

"Halt!"

Out of the bushes appeared two toucans, each with a golden collar and helmet, and a spear in their 'arms'.

"None may enter without Whisker's permission." barked one of the toucans in a female tone.

"Wait," the other toucan spoke up, also speaking in a female voice, "are you Brandy Harrington?"

Brandy nervously nodded.

"Whiskers has been expecting you, girl! He think's you're 'special'! Isn't that cute?"

"What my sister means is that Whiskers wants to speak with you. He's quite anxious."

Brandy rolled her eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

Brandy and Lola made their way up the stone steps towards the entrance of Whisker's domain. Brandy almost wanted to run away and forget about seeing Whiskers, but she knew she had to do this.

"Ah, Brandy," came a voice that sounded exactly like that voice from the beach, "I thought it might be you."

Whiskers was standing in the doorway, his face bearing an insanely cheerful grin.

Brandy was actually shocked to see Whiskers. She hadn't really expected him to be a rabbit, despite the fact his name implied it. It was hard to believe that such a cute, fluffy creature could be an insane dictator meddling with who-knows-what.

Brandy crossed her arms and stared at Whiskers with contempt, attempting to disguise her fear. "Why the hell did you bring me here?"

Whiskers took a deep breath and began an explanation as he took Brandy and Lola down a hallway, lit with flaming torches. "This world is a refuge for the downtrodden. The gathering of those that life has been cruel to. But your misfortunes..."

"What about them?"

"You see," Whiskers begun, "I once lived in the same merciless hell-pit you did."

This line actually had Brandy interested.

"That dank city with its drug dealers, hobos and whores. I was once in the same position as you, Brandy."

"Your mother was a whore too?"

Whisker's face immediately showed a look of fear and vulnerability, as tears began rolling down his cheeks. He buried his face in his arms against a wall, sobbingloudly. Brandy almost considered placing her hand on his shoulder to calm him, until he exploded into furious anger and yelled right in her face.

"**DAMN HIM DAMN HIM _DAMN HIM!_**"

Whiskers took a couple of deep breaths. "Anyway," he continued, "that's why I adopted Lola." He immediately grabbed Lola and hugged her tightly. "She was up for adoption when she was thirteen, and... and I wanted to give her everything I never had. I would be a good father, a good carer...a good leader. We spent years together, creating the happy family I had dreamed of...but as she grew, I feared for her. I feared she would succumb to the ways of this hellish world. I dreamed of a way we could escape together, into a wonderful new world free from war, famine, pestilence, even death. They gave it to me."

"_WHO THE FUCK ARE 'THEY'?_" Brandy angrily questioned.

"That's not important. What's important is this world. A world where I rule. A world where the downtrodden are protected from the hell of Planet Earth. A world where me and Lola can find solace."

After hearing Whiskers pour his heart out, Brandy didn't know whether to feel sorry for Whiskers, or dismiss his recollections as an excuse for his madness, like those comic book villains.

Lola actually did feel some sympathy for poor Whiskers and what he had been through (after all, he was her adoptive father), but, like Brandy, she saw Whiskers as someone who was trying to find excuses to justify his actions.

Both females still thought of Whiskers as insane.

"So, as you can see, I have created a new world. One without the need for technology. One of peace. One in my own image."

"We can see that."

"Your new forms are important. They reflect you in some way. Do you know why I chose that form for you, Brandy?"

Brandy shook her head.

"It's the same reason I chose my form. It's how I see ourselves. A cute little dog and rabbit. Poor, defenseless, longing for solace."

"You do know how overly fucking sentimental that is, do you?"

While Brandy was thinking of various insulting phrases at Whisker's expense, Whiskers himself rushed to her and grabbed her hand.

"Come with me..."

At that moment, Whiskers ran into a wooden door, taking Brandy with him.

Blackness.

Nothing but complete darkness.

"Alright, Whiskers, what are you going to do to me?"

Whiskers didn't reply.

His grip tightened.

There were a few more moments of silent darkness, until the entire room was illuminated, revealing its splendour.

It was a gigantic ballroom. The floor had a chessboard pattern, and the walls were painted pale lavender. A gleaming golden chandelier hung from the ceiling, revealing the glory that was the ballroom.

Whiskers himself had a new wardrobe, donning a white tuxedo, which gleamed in the light of the chandelier.

Brandy had discovered her wardrobe had changed as well. Her tank top and dirty jeans were replaced by an elegant red dress and her sandals had become high heels.

Whiskers held Brandy closer and closer and slid his arm around her waist.

All of a sudden, Brandy and Whiskers were circling around the room as non-diegetic ballroom music emitted from nowhere.

While Brandy didn't want to be dating boys who thought of her as a slut or abused her, she also didn't want to go out with a psycho rabbit who wanted her to stay in a bizarro world of talking snakes, toucans and otters.

"You see, Brandy, when I discovered you, I found we were so similar. Both of us have suffered in similar ways, both of us had to endure that rancid hell-hole of a city.

"We are one."

Whiskers held Brandy's breast closer to his head, so he couldhear her heartbeat. He then released her from his grasp and...

"_Shut up._"

Whiskers' eyes widened in disappointment. "What was that?"

Brandy then proceeded to actually whack Whiskers in the face, causing him to fall over on the floor.

"I said, I _don't_ want to be a part of this whole _fucking_ experiment of yours. You're just some insane weirdo with some _fucking _powers who doesn't even know what the _hell _he's doing with them. I want to get off this _shit-hole_ and away from _you_ as soon as possible."

Whiskers sat on the floor, with a sad expression on his face as if he was about to cry, the same expression you'd expect a cute animal to make in a Disney cartoon, which just made Brandy roll her eyes again.

But then he suffered a most frightening mood swing.

He leapt off the floor, and stared at Brandy with a face full of fury.

"You want to go _back_ to your _old life_, do you? You'd _rather_ go back to that wretched place then stay here with _me_? You'd _rather_ live with that _worthless skank_ you call a _mother?_"

Brandy felt her fear returning to her as Whiskers displayed his ferocious anger.

"You _are_ going to stay with me, Brandy.

You _are._"

Brandy couldn't bring herself to reply. She just nervously shook her head.

At that, Whiskers calmed down, and smiled ominously at Brandy.

"There are _other_ ways to put you out of your misery, you know..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

In a few minutes, something whacked Brandy at the back of her head, and she found herself in a Roman amphitheatre. Sitting on a grand throne was Whiskers himself, sitting between his two toucan guards and near to his reptilian daughter. Also in the vicinity was Ed, sitting there with bulging eyes and drumming his fingers nervously.

"Brandy, you are going to face a rather unpleasant obstacle. I will release you only if you accept my invitation."

"But Whiskers," Lola said, "I thought you said she was made for you. Why would you want to..."

"Shut up, Lola."

After Whiskers' speech, a gate within the coliseum opened, revealing...

**_Grr..._**

A jaguar slowly crept out, licking saliva off its lips.

"What are you doing?"

The cry from the otter who had become less monotonous and had rushed to Whiskers.

"Whiskers," Ed cried, waving his arms frantically, "I'm not sure you should do this...it's, well...mad...and you're mad yourself..."

"**HOW DARE YOU**!" screamed Whiskers, as his anger returned within a millisecond, "After all I've done. After giving you paradise and refuge, **_THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME_! **By questioning my authority and calling my goal **mad!**"

With that, he threw Ed off the throne and watched as the otter was reduced to a bloody corpse in a matter of seconds. Brandy watched in shock, not that she had really cared for Ed.

"You can avoid Ed's fate, if you promise to be mine and stay with me _forever_."

As Brandy attempted to formulate an answer, the jaguar left the otter's carcass alone and grinned at her.

"Well, fancy meeting you here, Brandy."

_That voice? Is it..._

"Lorenzo?" Brandy blurted out in shock.

The jaguar chuckled. "That's right."

"But w..."

Lorenzo sat down for a minute and began to explain. "After Whiskers captured you, he captured me as well. He told me that while I was a 'vile pervert' or whatever the hell it was he called me, I had potential for a job position he was seeking to fill."

"Wh..."

"Don't you understand, Brandy?" Lorenzo continued, as he made a pose that looked like he was about to attack, "I'm much more..._agile_ than I was as a human. Whiskers is actually promising me good things. Once you get to know the guy, he ain't so bad."

Lorenzo immediately pounced on Brandy, with his claws bared and a grisly smile on his feline face.

This was _power_.

For the first time in his life, Lorenzo truly felt he had power. Power that humanity never gave him. He was a jaguar, ready to kill as soon as he was able to.

And he would shove it in Brandy's face.

"Let me show you what happens when you question his motives."

He was going to disregard Whisker's rules. He wouldn't spare Brandy if she accepted the invitation. He wouldn't spare Brandy _at all._

He had _power._ He was going to demonstrate it.

The spectators were silent with horror.

The toucans were silent. Lola was silent.

Whiskers was silent.

_Oh. My. Word._

_What am I doing?_ _Why am I putting her life in danger? I shouldn't...Yes I should. She refused my invitation she'd rather be with that fucking mother of hers than me that little bitch no no we are so similar both of us endured the same things i love her i love her she hates me though she should die no she shouldn't i love her she's been through so much like i have she deserves better no she deserves to die die brandy die shut up she should live no she shouldn't yes she should no she shouldn't yes she should no she shouldn't..._

**_AAAARGH!_**

A blood-curdling scream interrupted Whiskers' train of thought.

_Brandy..._

She actually lay dead on the ground.

**Dead.**

Covered in blood, with Lorenzo breathing heavily over her.

"You killed her. You bastard."

"Wasn't that what I was supposed to do?" Lorenzo said, punctuating the sentence with another laugh.

Whiskers didn't reply.

"Oh fuck..." he just muttered to himself.

Lola approached him with a look of disgust.

"_Murderer_.".

"I...I'm sorry."

"I...I can't believe you did that." A sudden burst of confidence washed over Lola, and she found herself embracing her new form for once, wrapping herself around Whiskers' stomach, in an attempt to squeeze him to death. In response, Whiskers grabbed Lola by the neck and almost strangled her to death.

"She _deserved_ it! I promised her good things and she _rejected_ me and practically spat in my face!"

Lola slipped out of Whiskers grasp, and begin to wrap around him again, this time around an arm.

"And _you_ don't support me either! After I took you in when no-one else would! I'll...I'll..."

He just broke into crying. Lola slunk off his arm. "You're pathetic," she said.

"I'm sorry." he repeated, his furry face wet with tears, "I'll send you home."

Lola had always wanted to ask Whiskers to send her back and make her human again, but she wasn't really raring to ask, as she knew Whiskers would refuse, or perhaps do something worse.

"You aren't, are you?"

"You want to go home?" Whiskers replied meekly, "I can do that. I'll send you home, I promise."

Whiskers immediately hugged Lola tightly, then he waved his hand, and she vanished.

She just vanished.

"Goodbye." was all Whiskers said, as if Lola were still there.

* * *

Lola languidly opened her eyes.

Eyelids!

She lay in her bed, back in her original house, her original state, her original form.

Still lying down, even though the bed was cold and uncomfortable, she observed her appendages, relishing the control she had regained over them. She lifted herself off her bed, slowly placing her feet - her feet! - on the ground, and walking towards the nearby mirror, to reveal her human form in all its natural glory. As dark as her room was, she could still make it out. Her short hair, her beautiful bronzed skin, her thick red lips, her almost voluptuous body. All she wanted to do was stare at the lovely human visage in the mirror all day, forget that it was ever a reptile and laugh.

However, she suddenly gained a strange urge. She flipped on a light switch, but there was no light, so she looked for it in the dark. Yes, she felt she had to look through various photo albums, reminding herself of how Whiskers used to be...

Oh, the times they had together...

She stared at a photo of her and Whiskers in their human forms, next to an overly decorated Christmas tree, opening presents. She had knitted him a new sweater. He had bought her a new mobile phone. Good times.

"Merry Christmas, dad."

She turned around and made her way towards the corridor. She looked around.

"Dad? Dad?"

No answer.

"Oh."

She laughed. She just laughed.

He wants to stay at that strange jungle place? Let him.

She grabbed the photo album again, taking out each and every photo that depicted _him_, and slowly - _s l o w l y_ - tearing them into tiny little pieces. She threw these pieces over her head, watching as they descended like confetti.

Then she noticed what a state the place was in. The mould, the cobwebs, the stench, and just how cold it was. The chill was refreshing having spent so much time cold-blooded, but the decay made her think Whiskers, not the helpful father of her memories but the rabbit from the jungle, was still here, waiting for her. This didn't feel like the house she had spent years living in, it felt like someone else's. That thought was especially unnerving, considering she had arrived here without clothes, having shed them from her metamorphosis.

After grabbing a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt and some shoes, just to make herself feel more comfortable, she thought a while on what to do. She couldn't very well stay here, but knowing Whiskers, he could change his mind, teleport her away and turn her back into that snake. If he did, she'd strangle him again.

How could she think of such a thing?

Best to forget it. Forget it all. Grabbing random items from her bedroom, she stuffed them in a tote bag, as well as _his_ wallet (the idiot really left it behind), and moved her feet – her precious feet – towards the front door, kicking past a pile of bills as she did so.

When she stepped outside, she noticed it was the middle of the night, and looked up at the sky to enjoy a more natural moon. Looking down, she saw the front garden had become so overgrown, it resembled the jungle Whiskers now resided in.

Fuck this place. She decided to just let it fester in this spot. That's all it deserved.

That's all he deserved.

* * *

"Come on, live!"

Whiskers kneeled over Brandy's carcass, feeling her chest, wanting to feel a heartbeat.

"No.

"No, she's dead. Why did I sentence her to die? Why did I do this?

"Wait! It wasn't me who killed Brandy! It was that insolent little fuck Lorenzo. Damn him DAMN HIM! He wasn't following my orders; he went ahead and made his own orders! I was giving Brandy a chance to save herself and that jaguar broke my promise! That little...

"Brandy, what have I done? I offered you freedom, I offered you a better life and now look...

"WAIT A MINUTE!"

Whiskers darted away from the canine corpse, away from the coliseum, to his library. He pulled out a book he had been given '_Rulebook of the Otherworld_'. He flipped through it at a breakneck speed until he came to a section labeled 'Death'.

**_Death_**

_If someone dies in your world, you can easily resurrect them by bringing them to the 'real' world from which they spawned or to another person's world. Doing this, though, will mean that they can never come back to your world again. Leaving their corpse in your world will keep them deceased._

Yes, that's it. He would just send Brandy back to the real world and let her believe everything she experienced was just a bad dream. He wouldn't send her to another world; he didn't want another creator to have her.

But doing this would mean she could _never _come back to his world. She could _never _escape from her horrid life with that mother.

**Never.**

But he didn't care.

Whiskers walked out of the library and towards Brandy's dead body.

"Go ahead Brandy. If you want to rot in that hell-hole of a city, do so. I don't need you. I don't even need Lola. I'll continue my goal without you. There's sure to be people who'll like what I'm doing. Lorenzo may have been destructive and his form may have been appropriate, but at least he _appreciated_ what I did for him.

"Goodbye."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Brandy slowly crawled from out of the scrambled duvet cover, wiping away the eye gunk as she did so. It actually took a few minutes for her to acknowledge the fact that she was once again human, and that she had escaped the mad world she had been imprisoned in. She rubbed her hand against her behind to make sure there was no tail. She felt her skin to make sure there was no fur. She touched her nose to make sure it wasn't wet.

Ah. Perfect.

Her ears weren't long and floppy. Her face wasn't long and furry. Her teeth weren't jagged.

She looked outside the window to check the scenery. Skyscrapers. Alleyways. Streets. No lush, green trees. No gushing waterfalls. No refreshing breeze. Oh, what a disappointment, but what a relief, but what a disappointment.

She even took a small peep inside her living room. Normal. Kitchen. Normal. Bathroom. Normal. Mommy's bedroom. Both drunk, hungover and naked. Normal.

She laughed.

Silly Brandy. You can't change the world. You can't magically escape somewhere better.

That's all that experience was. Escapist fantasy. Just like that movie with Judy Garland.

Or maybe some higher power or something was trying to give her some Sunday school moral about appreciating where you live or something. Your mommy's a dirty skank but she still loves you! You shouldn't complain because there's no place like home!

Barf barf.

She just lay on her bed, burying her face in her pillow, avoiding the gaze of the dawning sun.

"What's wrong?"

That voice – it obviously belonged to a certain rabbit she knew. She had an urge to remove the pillow and talk to him face to face, but her hands said to cling to the pillow, avert your eyes from Whiskers.

"Why did you come back?"

"Brandy, Brandy, Brandy, I'm just here to say goodbye."

"OK, goodbye, go away."

"No. I think I'll stay a while."

"Go away, Whiskers, you're not real."

"That's the _thanks_ I get?"

"Thanks?!"

"I brought you to my world because it's what you wanted. I mean, this place – ugh. So many memories…"

"Yes, yes, you're evil because you had a traumatic past, I've seen it all before. _Go away_."

"You can't come back, you know. You died there and were resurrected here. Rules say you can't come back. You can't re-experience my tropical paradise. Never again will you feel the cool air blow in your face as you take walks down the beach at night, looking up at the stars, admiring the abundant wildlife…"

"I don't want it."

"Oh, come on. Somewhere over the rainbow. Way up high. There's a land that I heard of, once…"

"Well, even if I did, aren't there other people like you? Won't one of them take me to one of their worlds?"

No answer.

No answer at all.

Brandy at first thought that Whiskers had left, but she could still feel his presence.

"Oh. I know what this is. It's because I don't _love_ you, isn't it?"

"Actually," was the eventual reply, "it's because you don't _fear_ me."

Then he left.

* * *

"You miserable little freak! You should have followed orders! Damn you!"

Those were the raging cries of the rabbit as he rapidly slugged the jaguar in the face.

"But…but…"

"_Shut up_! I have a good mind to…"

The frantic punching ceased and Whiskers' face was lit with a grim smile.

"I'm sorry." he told the jaguar, "You did a good job. If that stupid woman rejects me, she should either die or let _that_ world torment her."

He patted the jaguar on the head, and gave him a treat.

With a single click of his fingers, the magical rabbit made a deer appear out of thin air. This deer was not once a human; it was simply a creation of his magic, like the world he resided in.

_That deer looks so delicious, doesn't it?_

The poor, innocent, yet artificial deer was a delicious treat, but Lorenzo didn't really feel comfortable about attacking it until Whiskers was well out of the room.

Whiskers.

That guy seriously gave him the creeps. Lorenzo kept trying to tell himself that since he was a cute little bunny, he shouldn't really be all that scary, but that nice, fluffy exterior made his interior all the more horrifying. And also, seeing him around Lola made him think of rabbits giving birth to snakes, despite the obvious reasons why he would call her daughter. And there were those…other things he liked to do…brr.

Lorenzo didn't want to think about Whiskers for now, he wanted to _run_.

Not away, but around.

He ran outside, ran through the jungle, ran between trees and bushes, ran around the watering hole, ran around everywhere.

With his new form, the laws and rules that came with being human were suddenly lifted. His body was no longer limited; he was more agile, could run at great speeds and could easily catch his prey off guard.

Prey.

When he was human, there were laws and regulations demanding him not to kill or murder, and true, he had never killed before his transformation. Now that he was in a position to murder, it gave him a sense of excitement that he had never experienced before; a thrill that told him that he was now on top of the food chain, a powerful beast free from the chains of humanity.

He was a jaguar, a predator, and was meant to be a creature without fear.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

She was free.

The first thing she did when she awoke the next morning was proclaim her freedom from the clutches of Whiskers. A blessing in disguise. Some would probably say that she should be devastated about this, weep endlessly about losing her dear old daddums. What a load of childish bullshit. She was eighteen years old; she shouldn't be relying on parents. She was a grown woman, she should be facing the world on her own, braving her own challenges, _I am woman hear me roar_.

Ah yes, maybe today should be a celebration, a celebration of her new liberty, doing nice things for herself without him. Maybe he'll be watching and will begin to cry like a wangsty little baby when he sees how well she can do without him.

Yes.

After getting dressed, and admiring her body while doing so, she decided that now she had her appendages back, she would use them. She walked –no, ran – into the kitchen and switched on the radio. As the song played, she danced frantically around the room.

'_You and I know, babe, I'm a different person, yeah, turn my world around…_'

She twirled around the room like a spinning top, almost falling over chairs and tables, even grabbing a nearby mop as her 'dance partner'.

But still. There was much to be done, and little time to do it in. She had to make the most of today, fit as much pleasures and delights in as possible. It'll be just like a birthday.

Birthday…

"_Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to…"_

"_Dad, you know I'm too old for that song now, don't you?"_

"_Well…I'm sorry, but it _is _sort of catchy, you have to admit…"_

_Her sixteenth birthday. It was their own little party, just her and him. He was more in a birthday mood than she was, donning the pointed hat, decorating the house with multi-coloured balloons, dancing like an ecstatic jester._

_He brought in the cake, the lovely chocolate cake, the _dripping _chocolate cake with _fiery roasting _candles…_

Lola stared at herself in the mirror, slapping herself in the face.

"Ay yi yi. Get a grip." She chuckled at herself. "Poco loco en el coco. What's coming over me?"

She had breakfast, a bit of a veg-out in front of the TV. Then, with another chuckle at the expense of herself, she grabbed any money that she found lying around, _his _money, that she grabbed with her _hands_, she stepped outside, breathed in the fresh air and embraced the warm sunshine.

Ah, Whisker's world was beautiful, she had to admit, with its rainforests, its bushes and its climate, but it was all too _artificial_; no better than a child's playset. The sunlight of reality, the weather of reality, the beauty of reality, that was what she wanted.

The people around her, the people, the humans, they were the beaming faces she wanted to see, the neighbours hosing down their lawns, the couples walking their dogs, their normal, quadruped dogs. Truly picturesque.

She walked into town- she didn't take the car, she never really learnt how to drive, she never really thought she was ready. He kept telling her that he was willing to teach – oh, crap. Besides, walking always helped clear her mind, and she could take more time to observe her surroundings, the scenic route. A few people waved, a few people said 'Good Morning', one even said it had been a while. She responded to them all, quite cheerfully.

The shopping centre wasn't really all that distant from the humble abode in which she resided, and yet, it was such a beneficial building; everything she needed under one roof. However, she wasn't here for supplies, she was just here to enjoy herself.

Enjoy herself. Escape.

Escape into the latest rom-com. Ah, the light, bubbly atmosphere, the often guilty-pleasure humour, the _feeling_ you get from the cinema.

Then lunch. A _nice_ lunch. A big pepperoni pizza. A bowl of ice cream. That's the stuff. Yeah.

And then there was something she really wanted to do. Something she _had to_ wait for. Something she _couldn't_ wait for.

It took quite a while to get there, but it was worth it.

The curling trees, the gurgling lake, the squelchy mud – the _fun_ squelchy mud – the twisted plantlife…

There it was.

The field.

She lay down.

Staring up at the purple blanket of night, the sprinkle of stars, the pale moon.

She closed her eyes.

Blood.

Rabbit blood.

Maybe dog blood.

Giant reptiles with bared fangs horses with lions heads grinding gears hacksaws decapitated something liquid liquid _liquid_

She opened her eyes.

She closed her eyes.

Falling dropping lizards monkeys no room no room twinkle twinkle dragons big seven headed red dragon argh aaaaaargh

She opened her eyes.

She left.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Why did the night feel so insecure all of a sudden? Brandy had never noticed but the darkness night brought could also bring shadows for those little goblins to hide in, to jump out when one least expects it. The night, the inky sky with the white glowing grin, it had an insecurity only Itty Bitty Kitty could heal.

Itty Bitty Kitty, with her dangly button eye and her heart-patterned dress, lived in the cupboard and only came out when Brandy needed her. Brandy hadn't needed her in years, it was about a decade since she was last awake. However, she had once again awakened; ready to keep Brandy safe from monsters.

* * *

The jungle was silent. The night sky was a light purple, and the stars and the full moon were not obscured by the presence of clouds or synthetic light. The palm treesrustled gently in the slight breeze and not a single sound was to be heard.

Except the footsteps of a single figure.

The lone figure, Lorenzo, that had stepped outside was observing the natural beauty this place held, walking on all fours. This new place was so…_natural_. Lorenzo lay on a flat rock and listened to the calm gushing of a nearby waterfall as he mused on the subject of his new life. While most of this world's 'visitors' hated the surroundings and only wished to be returned to the places from which they came, he liked it. He liked the towering palm trees and the gigantic mountains that dominated the entire place. He liked the dry sand that crunched under his paws and the dew that wet his fur. There was barely anything artificial to be found; no streetlamps, no constant sound of the beeping and rushing of automobiles, no television, no mobile phones…

He had hated those long days when he had tried to eliminate his boredom by watching those dull re-runs and listening to the same old CDs over and over again. Now he had _something else_ to occupy himself with…

"Lorenzo…"

The loud voice echoed throughout the entire jungle. Lorenzo gulped.

"Lorenzo, come here."

He shrugged and made his way towards the temple in which his master resided in, pausing a moment to watch the gatekeepers.

"O-we-oh, we-oh…"

"Cheryl, stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"That singing."

"Hey, I enjoy singing, girl."

"No offense, sis, but your singing stinks."

"Well, it's not the only thing that stinks 'round here!"

"That's it, it's go time!"

Lorenzo chuckled.

"What you laughin' at, jaguar boy?"

Lorenzo snarled.

"Um…sorry?"

"Lorenzo, see me right now, I want to talk to you!"

Lorenzo walked up the stairway, walked down corridors and right into his office. The office , unusual for a room in a stone temple, was paneled with wood, lighted with elegant wall lamps, highly impersonal, save for a few pictures on the desk.

"Oh, Lorenzo, I feel as light as a feather, I feel so jolly, oh, oh, frabjous day!"

Lorenzo raised his eyebrow, slight shudders down his spine. "Why? Wh-"

"Oh, Lorenzo, Lorenzo, Lorenzo," said Whiskers, "I'm happy because I've realized we don't need _girls_ here. Life's perfect with _just us guys_!"

"Um…alright then."

"Lorenzo, you've been such a great asset to me, yet I never really got to know you. You know, right now, we can spend some marvelous time together!"

Lorenzo wanted to mock Whiskers for acting like some stupid old grandfather trying to look cool in front of youth. He wanted to call Whiskers some immature insult. Hell, he even had a good mind to murder Whiskers and take over. However, when he tried to do these things, it felt like some unseen force was preventing him from doing so.

"Well…okay then…"

"Tell me, Lorenzo, how do you like your new form?"

The fear became ecstasy. "I _love_ it, Whiskers. Do you know how overrated humanity is, having lived life as both a human and an animal?"

"Well…"

Lorenzo leapt onto a wall and back onto the floor. "It's _brilliant_. To shed your humanity, experience the beast, it's _brilliant_. To murder an inferior creature is like a thousand _orgasms_! Most humans nowadays believe that they are the superior species, hah! I never gave it much thought until recently, but being human _sucks_. When you're human, you get fucked in the face, hacked in the ass everyday, and you're supposed to tolerate it, maybe even _enjoy_ it. You have to bow down these fucking authority figures, forced to follow rule after rule and stand back as the whole world points and has a right laugh at you. Well, I say screw _them_, I've found something way better than their stupid species. Power. That's what I hold in my paw now. Raw, unadulterated _power_. It's so much fun."

"That's very nice, Lorenzo. Now, um, do you like…um...beer?"

"Well, yes."

A glass of lager materialized right on the desk.

"Aren't you going to have some?"

"I don't drink."

Lorenzo wanted to say 'You self-righteous little pussy' but instead he said, "Come on, it won't hurt."

So he drank some.

"Heh heh. Heh heh. Hey, hey, Lorenzo, you know who the man? _You_ the man."

"Oh, oh, stop."

"No, no, I'm being serious. I mean, you, you got these…these _claws_ and these _teeth_ and stuff."

"Um, yeah, but you got them teeth and claws as well you know…"

"Heh, heh. You're right. Heh, heh."

Laughter.

"Heh, heh. Heh, heh."

* * *

Laughter.

**HA HA HA HA HA HA.**

Not only did Whiskers awake the next morning with a fierce headache, the strange ability to hear things louder than they were, and the fresh smell of vomit on the floor, he awoke to _laughter_.

_The alley was not a pleasant place to spend the night. The walls made of brown brick were cold and damp and covered in graffiti and the pavement was littered with empty beer bottles and discarded wrappers. Some of the dustbins were tipped over and the air was alive with the stench of rotting garbage. The dismal alleyway was feebly illuminated by a single light that flickered in a way that mad it look like it was about to go off._

_There was not a single figure in the alleyway, except a small child, who was making a bed out of various rubbish. _

_He wasn't going to go back there._

_He tried so hard to prevent himself from crying when he stared at the Maths test he had taken recently. He got an A. His teacher was so happy and congratulated him with a 'Well done!' He expected that type of praise back home, but…_

_No._

_First, he was ignored. Then, he was yelled at and threatened for being such a nuisance._

_The company there wasn't all that tolerable before but this was the final straw._

This _was his new home. A dirty alleyway. No-one to shout at him, no-one to threaten him and he had even taken some money to help him survive._

_As he lay on the pavement, wet with urine, he tried to sleep. He tried to fall into a happy dreamworld where he could escape from reality._

_But he found it so difficult…_

_He couldn't forget…

* * *

_

_  
_He couldn't forget.

Whiskers tried to snap out of the memory. He wanted to destroy everything in his brain that had to do with the incident.

But he knew all too well what was going to happen next…

He was going to get beaten. Ferociously pummelled for running away from home. Oh, he could still feel the pain _THE PAIN OH PLEASE OH PLEASE MAKE IT STOP_

That's it.

**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA**

He felt like he was being laughed at. All of his misfortunes were merely jokes; performances to amuse someone he didn't know.

His beatings were a joke.

And…and…

Lola…Brandy…

Losing them was also a joke.

Wasn't it?

**HA HA HA HA HA**

_WASN'T IT!_

There was no answer.

There would _never_ be an answer.

Or would there?

* * *

The day was uneventful, tediously walking towards its goal of nightfall ever so slowly. It seemed like all Brandy had done all day was constantly lie on her bed, feeling sweat trickle down her back. She tried to talk to Itty Bitty Kitty, but she wasn't in the mood for conversation.

It was about five pm.

It was about five pm when he returned.

"Whiskers?"

He stood in the corner, still in his rabbit form, smiling at Brandy.

"Yes, Brandy, it's me."

Brandy scoffed. "And what the hell are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to say 'Hi', you know, we can still be friends…"

Brandy turned her back on him. "I told you, I'm not afraid of you, you emo little fuckface. Now leave me alone, I'm not in the mood for these little games right now."

"I can see you're unhappy."

"Oh, what a brilliant deduction, Captain Obvious."

"And I've just got the solution!"

"Go away and let me get on with my life?"

"No…I am going to _kill your mother_!"

"What?"

"You don't like her at all, do you, so I'm going to murder her and then you'll be happy!"

"Spaz. I don't like you, I'm not afraid of you, now just go away. Pick on Lola or something."

He went.

Brandy watched Whiskers evaporate into nothingness right before her eyes, concentrating on him and nothing else. Why was Whiskers? Yes, that was the complete question she had in her mind. Why was Whiskers? Not 'Why was Whiskers bothering her?' or 'Why was Whiskers being such an annoying emo prick?' Why was Whiskers?

She tried asking Itty Bitty Kitty that question. She never said a word. Maybe she didn't want to get involved in this surreal, supernatural nonsense. Maybe she was saying '_What the hell do you want me for? I'm a stuffed animal, for fuck's sake!_' Maybe the silence _was_ an answer.

* * *

Whiskers had dinner; potato salad, followed with raspberry jelly. He love jelly, the way it wibbled and wobbled and danced on the plate. What fun! Maybe Brandy likes jelly. Has she ever tried jelly? If she likes jelly, she's really missing out.

Oh dear.

Was he obsolete? Nothing but a nuisance? Lola, who he should be remembered as a great father to, didn't mourn their parting. She got a job at the supermarket. Good for her.

But.

Why should he be _depressed _that those two stupid females who spat in his face and mocked his methods are now in a horrific hell-hole of war and hatred while he was residing in a perfect world?

He would be laughed at no longer.

He would be the one doing the laughing from here on end.

**HA HA HA HA HA**

_His _laughter.

**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA**

Laughter that shook the jungle from end to end.

The jaguar shuddered in fear once more.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

A seventeen year old went missing? He disappeared when he was out on a date? His mother was in tears? His girlfriend was unable to comment?

Who gives a rat's ass?

In fact, good riddance, thought Gaspar. He had never liked today's teenagers anyway; it was nothing but sex, drugs and rock and roll with them. Besides, he didn't want concern about anyone to ruin tonight; this night should be his and his alone. He should have some 'him' time, some time to get away from life's troubles, get away from shadow…

That inky, creepy _thing_. Is it going to come tonight? Damn mind, always reminding him of unusual occurrences he wanted to forget. Didn't he have enough to worry about without some freaky demon from Hell leaping in and making him pass some stupid tests? But it did say it could give him happiness, maybe he should be grateful, or maybe no he shouldn't because…because…

Oh look, speak of the devil, no pun intended. It's right there.

"You've had enough waiting time. Now I have a second test for you."

Gaspar sighed, not at all frightened. "Please just leave me alone. What if I don't want what you're promising? What if I refuse?"

The figure said nothing, but a single look could tell you what its answer was.

"Okay then," said Gaspar.

The figure began to squash itself until it looked like it had assumed the form of a black bedsheet, which then floated up to Gaspar and draped itself around him, bringing him into a dark abyss. Everywhere Gaspar looked, he saw mocking blackness staring right back at him; he was even standing on it.

Seeing nothing made him feel even more worried than he would have been if the black thing had dangled him above a volcano. Seeing an endless abyss before you makes you ask _questions_. Is a mutant banana slug going to emerge from the darkness and eat you whole? Are you inside the belly of a dinosaur? What why where when how?

However, Gaspar didn't see a banana slug emerge from the abyss. He wasn't in the belly of a dinosaur. In fact, he _loved_ what this place had to show him.

"Is that?"

A woman stepped out of the blackness, illuminated by a glow emitting from her own body.

"Gabriella?"

He examined every part of her body: her bare, thin legs, her red dress flapping like a sail, her thick, red lips, her lush, black hair. This examination made Gaspar want to run to her, feeling her warm body against his again, smelling her cherry-flavoured lipstick as they hug, embracing, _embracing_.

He stared into her eyes.

They say eyes are the window to the soul.

He saw her exactly as he remembered her, the embrace. He saw caring and compassion, a want to love and possibly even _lust_. He swore he also saw a glimmer of anger in those eyes, but what was the anger for? The life choices he made? The fact that a creature had specially chosen him for some sick purpose? Or was it something he did that was so horrible he forced himself to forget?

He wanted to remember how her saliva felt against his face, and the soft caress of her hands, but all he could bring himself to think about was what she would do to him. I mean, isn't she supposed to be…

For a brief moment, he was greeted by the thought that she may eat his brains.

"What is this? What is this?"

She came closer to him, staring.

They say eyes are the window to the soul.

But was there a soul? Was this her? It _felt_ like her, well, somewhat. When she came closer, the scent she gave off smelled like her. And if it was her, what would he say? How would he apologise? What would she say? Was the purpose of ths whole endeavour to get his heart broken by resurrecting her?

He wanted to run to her. He wanted to run from her.

He ran from her.

"Well done. I'll be back soon."

The last image he remembered that night was a pair of fiery spheres, with a small black dot in the middle.

They say eyes are the window to the soul.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Brandy stood knee deep in water.

Wherever she was, it had a Mediterranean climate, with the sun blazing in a cloudless sky, so logically, the water should be refreshing, cool, relaxing. However, stepping in this water felt like snakes and spiders were crawling all over her bare legs, as if she had stepped slap bang in the middle of a swamp. She wanted to step out of this water and go somewhere else – but where?

Right in front of her. The jungle, the island, the world in which Whiskers resided in, it was right in front of her, bearing an invisible smirk. She checked her body: it was still human, inexplicably clothed in a two-piece swimsuit, but still human. But this had to do with Whiskers. It had to.

And what do you know? She was right.

Whiskers was right by a rather thick palm tree, resting on a rock, watching Brandy near him.

Cock. Dickhead. Bastard. Son of a bitch.

Think these words, don't say them. If you say them, who knows what Whiskers'll do to you. But what – what if he can read thoughts? It's possible, he can do anything, he even killed you for crying out loud!

"Hello again, Brandy," he said in an optimistic tone, "I was just thinking about you and wanted to see you again."

"But-but- thought you said I couldn't come to your world again – why am I human -"

"This isn't my real world. This is all a dream; a mental reconstruction of it for your eyes only, so we can see each other again."

"What the hell are you talking about? You're just spouting random…"

"Language, Brandy, language." Brandy immediately shut up.

"You know, that offer to kill your mother is still good, you know." Whiskers smiled languidly.

"I don't…I don't care…well…you…"

"Brandy, I want to show you something." Whiskers hopped down from the rock and stared right at Brandy. In a millisecond, Brandy was instantly clothed; now donning a blue t-shirt and red jeans. "I think that looks much nicer on you than what you normally wear. Come."

Whiskers grabbed Brandy's hand, giggling to himself as he felt her soft skin against his rodent fur, and then darted with her through bushes, overgrowth and forests until they came to a small clearing.

All was still.

"AAGH!"

Lola ran out from the bushes – no, wait, she didn't run, because she had no legs – rather, she slithered – no, _leapt_. Leapt at the feet of Brandy and Whiskers, as a small, lowly, defenceless reptile rather than the woman she thought she was.

"Whiskers! I knew it!" She leapt again, in a feeble attempt to crush his guts like the boa constrictor she had become, but Whiskers had grabbed her by the neck – did she have a neck? – and threw her to the floor – yet again.

"You – why?"

Another figure had emerged from the bushes, a strange creature with the head of a fly – a big fly, a _big_ fly - and what looked like the body of a horse – a horse crossed with a fly. All grey and sticky and slimy…spitting at Lola as it neared her. It breathed in heavily like a vacuum cleaner, trying to suck up Lola into its oesophagus.

"Help me! Help me!"

Brandy took a step – just one step – before Whiskers knocked her over backwards.

"Help! Whiskers!"

The fly-thing sucked up Lola whole, leaving her to endure peristalsis.

"Dad…."

* * *

Lola awoke with a start.

She was lying in her own bed. She had arms and legs. The sweat dripping down her back told her that she was once again mammalian.

Good. Good.

Why did she see these _things_? Why was it that every time she closed her eyes, she saw the face of that rodent grinning and mocking her? He said he would love her. He said he would nurture her. He said he would never let anything bad happen to her, because he wanted to be a dear old daddy.

Lola turned away and stared out of the window, gazing at the stars outside. The stars; a twinkling reminder of innocence, but whether this innocence was still there or if it were lost was a question Lola could not answer. The moon; a face not only giving off warmth and security but a harsh sense of courage that kept the boogiemen away.

That's it, Lola, that's it. You're a big girl now, there are no such things as monsters.

There is no such thing as Whiskers.

She went back to sleep to dream nice dreams. _Pleasant_ dreams. She could as well.

That dream she was just in – that other dream – it would rather pick on Brandy.

* * *

"Whiskers…"

"You see, Brandy, we don't need Lola anymore. She was just messing things up."

"You…"

"Oh, don't worry, Brandy, she's not dead. This was just a reminder for her. And that monster thing? _Entirely_ her own creation."

Brandy's eye was twitching.

"Brandy, what's…"

Whiskers was thrown face first into the mud.

"You little jackass!" Brandy ran away, the harsh otherwordly winds rebelliously blowing in her face, leaving Whiskers lying there, laughing.

"Brandy, Brandy, Brandy," he said to no-one in particular, "You silly, little girl."

This wasn't the jungle.

What Brandy had ran into was some sort of castle – was it a dungeon? The walls around her were made out of light brown stone, crawling with insects of several varieties. Some say walls have ears – these had _eyes_; red, green, blue eyeballs poking out from the brickwork, all faced in Brandy's direction. There were no windows, no torches, no visible source of light anywhere – yet Brandy could see anything. She could see every horrid detail; the red stains, the skeletal body parts, the shadows that didn't belong to anything, the hands made out of stone that tried to reach out for her.

"Brandy!"

She had never heard that voice before, yet t immediately rang a bell.

Itty Bitty Kitty – flesh and blood. She lay in a foetal position in the corner, her pretty blue dress now nothing but rags. Chains had been clamped tightly on her ankles and elbows in a way that made it look like a hand was clutching her. She looked so much like a 'normal' cat, but her eyes, her teeth were purely human.

"Help me…" Hearing words come out of the mouths of other animals was usually disturbing for Brandy, yet Kitty's words and actions seemed so natural.

"Itty Bitty Kitty! What's wrong? Who did this to you?"

Kitty silently pointed to her right like the Ghost of Christmas Future. The sounds of huge footsteps created a miniature earthquake. The air was filled with soft roars and lip-smacking. All of these ceased when the giant lizard made its appearance. It immediately fixed its eyes on Brandy and grinned. It didn't attack. It grinned.

"Isabelle, don't do anything to her," Kitty gasped.

The lizard, Isabelle, turned to Kitty and whacked her with her claw. "Brandy's too old for you, so you'd better back out."

Brandy knew that voice. She knew it, she knew it. However, she didn't want to know it. She wanted to be distanced from that voice forever; she would even allow herself to be locked away in a padded cell if it meant she would escape the nightmarish tones of that. Damn. Voice.

"That's right, Brandy, _dear_." Her grin widened.

"Brandy!" Oh, fuck.

Whiskers was standing right there, a knife held out for Brandy to grab.

"Whiskers. Is that…."

"No, it's only your _perception _of her. But if you kill this one, you'll be one step closer to murdering the real deal and having a happy life again." After saying this, Isabelle thumped Whiskers in the stomach and turned to Brandy yet again.

"Why don't you? I mean, you hate me, don't you? Don't all teenagers hate their parents?"

She dropped the knife.

"Come on!" The lizard snapped at Brandy. "Be a rebel!" She opened her jaws wide, revealing sticky saliva dripping from her teeth, her mouth looking like a cave. "I'm going to eat you! Only killing me will stop me!"

Brandy was swallowed up by the floor.

"Hello again." Lorenzo stood in front of Brandy, clutching his tail, swinging it around casually. "Tell me, Brandy, when you were a dog, did you like having a tail? I actually sorta like them, they're fun."

Looking at Lorenzo, his very presence, reminded Brandy instantly of the night she met Whiskers, the night the dementia began, the time the newspapers talked to her and all she could say was 'no comment'. Damn jaguar. Damn pervert.

She wanted to run up to that little piss-artist and give him what-for, but, whether it was a magic spell or her own free will, she couldn't move an inch. She didn't even move when Lorenzo came nearer and nearer, so close she could even smell his own desire.

"Brandy, I'm sorry for killing you, if anything, I should be _thanking_ you. I am more than a human because of you. The dull days when I would just sit around re-watching taped Simpsons episodes and low-budget pornos is over, because now I've found something more, because of you, Brandy. You."

"Thank you." Lorenzo's voice was merely a whisper, as if he was frightened of Brandy's beauty. The millisecond after the last word had escaped his lips, Lorenzo held Brandy tighter and began to lick her face.

Fuck Whiskers. Fuck his world and fuck his promises. Even fuck his daughter. It was his henchman that was giving a bigger prize, something he could never provide.

* * *

She awoke in her bed again, this time soaked in sweat, her hands longing for more, her body twitching around impatiently.

What had she become? A slut, a whore, that's what. Actually allowing that prick to have his way with her! No better than Isabelle.

No better at all.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

They had left her alone.

She sat there alone. She sat on the bus, ignoring all activity on the vehicle, staring out the window, observing the December weather. She was donning a thick coat like that of an Eskimo, her face almost hidden due to the hood, and several plastic shopping bags resting on her lap.

Yes. It was four days until Christmas and she had been shopping.

She had never found shopping to be the most thrilling experience the world has ever known, but this was _Christmas. _Christmas was… _different_.

She still had that sense of childhood excitement when she entered the mall and found every nook and cranny decorated with the appropriate objects. Her eyes greedily feasted on every sight the shopping centre had to offer. One of the clothes stores were guarded by mighty nutcracker statues, their outfits giving a sense of festive dignity. Grinning, jovial snowmen cheerfully greeted at the audience behind the panes of glass of shop windows. There were gigantic Christmas trees – yes, more than one – showing off flamboyant lights of every colour and topped with glittering stars or angels singing inaudible praises. Santa was there too; Santa, the obese bearded man whose personal goal in life was simply to make sure that every single child in the world had a smile on their faces. She was even tempted to visit the poor man wearing the cheap red suit, but she was much more mature than _that_. Despite the fact that hundreds of people had occupied the mall, eager to appease their appetites for the holidays, it was a charming, magical experience.

Yes, add a touch of Christmas to anything and it immediately becomes a hundred times better.

She was actually reminded of the 'season to be jolly' from her view of what lay outside of the vehicle she was traveling in. It was a White Christmas to be sure; the snow gently glided down from the heavens, disappearing into the pale sheets that lay below. Rooftops, pathways, pavements, lawns; Jack Frost wouldn't let a spot be uncovered. The brilliant white of the houses and ground were a sharp contrast to the dark purple of the evening sky. Adding to the atmosphere were the houses, sporting twinkling fairy lights and occasionally there would be the gratuitously decorated house, with the sleigh on the rooftop and plastic snowmen and elves illuminating the lawn.

These were the things she wanted to witness. She ignored everything on the bus; the conversations, the wailing baby and the various annoying habits being displayed were not acknowledged. She preferred to view the delightful December sights, for not only did they remind her of the jolly spirit of the season that was so incessantly spoke of in cartoons and fairy tales…

They reminded her…

She was home.

With the sound of a 'ding', the bus came to a slight halt, allowing her to get off the vehicle and onto the pavement. She hummed festive tunes to herself as she walked towards her home, her boots leaving marks in the snow. She didn't mind the frosty breeze furiously blowing in her face, nor did she even notice the snowballs that the children ambushed her with.

She was going to the _house_.

When she had finally made it to the house, she actually took a moment to admire the exterior of the building. A short, stout little bungalow, right in front of a garden and a car she never really learned how to drive. It wasn't exactly a palace, but it was a warm, humble, friendly place. In fact, it looked better than when she last saw it. The garden was no longer overgrown, and the windows looked like they had been washed.

Maybe he had returned. Not Whiskers, her dad. He had given up on all that stuff in the 'Otherworld' or wherever it was and returned home. He was human again, and no longer insane. He had come back and was waiting for Lola, and he would apologize for all she put him through.

She unlocked the door- she still had the key- took a few steps into the hallway and dropped the plastic bags onto the floor.

She took off her coat, placed it on a hook on the wall and entered the living room. Nobody was there.

It still stood silent, plagued with the mould and cobwebs from before, ignoring the bright lights and Santas from outside. There was still the influence of that mad rabbit about it. Lola could fix that, though.

There still wasn't any electricity, but Lola did manage to fumble around the garage and find what she was looking for. A synthetic Christmas tree, and a box of generic baubles and tinsel. After dragging them from the garage, she blew away the cobwebs, and placed the tree in the corner, later adding the sparkly, colourful stuff.

There. Now the room no longer bore the mark of Whiskers. It was her room, she had personalized it herself and made it look nicer. After seeing the fruits of her small labour, Lola slumped herself on the dusty couch and took a breather.

This was Christmas. Relaxing at home, giving the home your own personal festive touch, a big Christmas tree…

No Whiskers to be found. No_ things_ to be found. No nothing to be found.

So Lola chose to relax at home, enjoying the jolliest of holidays. It had been quite a while since she had left the vicinity of her 'father's' magical yet dangerous world. It had been quite a while since she had alluded Whiskers, but she was still joyful about the fact that she had been returned to her rightful location – and her rightful species. She was still joyous of the fact that she had finally retrieved her appendages, that she had smooth, bronzed human skin as opposed to slithery scales, that she had hair on her head and blinking eyes once more. She had been continuously reminding herself to forget about Whiskers. He was a psycho. He was a murderer. He was…

No…maybe…

Maybe she _missed_ him.

This would be her first Christmas alone. Without anyone else beside her. Without a father. The tinsel, the tree, even the presents she had bought for herself: they were a reminder of the old days…

She remembered when her biological father had died, leaving her an orphan. It was such a shock, a dismay, a disappointment. The days of cheerful play together, the fun days out, the laughter, the care had all been obliterated in a fashion that had reduced her to silent mourning. When she had been told someone had agreed to adopt her, she had a childish reluctance about the situation, believing that her past father was the only father that was right for her and any other would be inferior.

She was actually quite surprised to see him. A funny little man, greeting her with a warm smile and actually giving her a sweet to help comfort her.

Yes, she thought to herself, that's how I want to remember him.

He was a kind, rather child-like man who wanted nothing more than to support Lola and be the perfect father. Oh, they had such great memories together. They celebrated birthdays and Christmasses with glee, they had been a comfort to each other and he knew he had found some resemblance of solace in her.

That's how he should be remembered. As a loving father, a kind man…

_"Lola, are you ready?"_

_Stirring from her magazine, Lola turned towards where she heard the voice coming from. Dad again. Another of his stuff about the 'new world' perhaps._

_"I said, are you ready? We're going!"_

_"Going where?"_

_"It's time! We're going to that better place!"_

_Lola let out a laugh that he couldn't hear._

_"Lola, I said, are you ready?"_

_"Yes!" Lola decided to humour him. "Yes, I am!"_

_"Good!"_

_A wave of white light engulfed Lola's bedroom, and then, the whole room vanished._

_This wasn't her home. It was a damp room made of grey stone, some type of dungeon typical of a medieval castle._

_This couldn't be real. No, it had to be a dream, as she swore she could feel her duvet cover still around her torso. As water dropped down onto her face, she suddenly realized that it wasn't merely her location that had changed._

_Her lovely, beautiful human body had been reduced to nothing but a tail with a reptilian head on one end. It wasn't a dream, she could _feel_ it. She could feel her legs fused together and made limp. That wasn't her duvet cover, that was her t-shirt that was now too large for her. She said nothing of this transformation; she just lay there, attempting to comprehend what had just happened. She could no longer run or jump into the air. She could no longer clap or hold things in her grasp. She was no longer a human being but an inferior animal, forced to crawl on the earth without purpose._

_While part of her wanted to explore this new world she had been transported into, as it would probably help her find some answers, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Maybe it was because she was too shocked by the fact that she had been transformed into an insignificant reptile, or because she feared that there could be something ferocious just around the corner…_

"_Don't be frightened, Lola."_

_She knew that voice all too well._

"_Dad?"_

No, no. This wasn't how he should be remembered…

_Standing before her was an anthropomorphic rabbit with an insanely large grin lightening his face. He wore a navy blue business suit and a tie but wore no shoes. She knew it was he who had taken her in and had been like a father to her but…_

She tried to forget it, tried to destroy the memory once and for all, but…it felt like she was experiencing it _right now_.

"_You're probably asking what's happening, aren't you? Well, it's simple. The world we came from is a wretched place, filled with war, hatred and… well, I don't want to go into too much detail."_

"_What…what…"_

"_Ah yes, because _that _world was so detestable, I built my own in my own image."_

"_Why…why…sn…sna…"_

"_Ah, your form. I told you I was making this world in my own image. Humanity would only serve to remind of that world. Wouldn't you rather live in a world of cute, fluffy animals than one full of horrid humans?" He then pointed at her with his furry finger. "I chose you to be a snake, a reminder of your past parents. Your father died from a snake bite, didn't…"_

"_Shut up!" Lola finally managed to scream, "You're a maniac! You're not my father! Change me back! You're mad!"_

_Lola had surprised herself by speaking those words, for she _knew_ that this mutant rabbit was her father._

_His eye began twitching rapidly the second after she had said those words. Before Lola knew it, she was grabbed by the neck and was brought to his face level, allowing her to see his furious expression up close. _

NO! This should be forgotten! He should be remembered fondly!

_He ferociously roared in Lola's face, spraying saliva everywhere and then viciously threw her onto a wall._

"_I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you miserable little…" He calmed down in the blink of an eye and spoke softly, "Give it some time…"_

"No!"

"_you'll grow to love it."_

"No! Leave me alone! I hate you! _I HATE YOU!_"

She was back home, the memory had ended, back in her cozy little hovel, yet there was still something a little _wrong_.

She still heard Whiskers' voice pound in her head, his optimistic yet sinister tones filling the air, but there were other voices as well; voices she couldn't recognize, voices that sounded somewhat familiar, _her_ voice.

**HE WAS A PSYCHO.**

"Shut up!"

The house was alive. The walls began bending and stretching like they were made out of Silly Putty. Hands – claws began to reach out from the floor – and the ceiling too. They didn't attack Lola, they just pointed at her mockingly.

**HE KILLED.**

"Stop it! I hate you! I don't want to remember you!"

The claws burst out, but weren't attached to a body, just decapitated body parts that flopped around on the floor like fish out of water. A door burst open and rotting corpses came out – bounced out. The corpses looked like Greek statues – no arms and legs at all, just bouncing on their hips.

**I HATE YOU I LOVE YOU NO I HATE YOU YOU KILLER YOU PSYCHO YOU FREAK YOU SHOULD DIE I HATE YOU DIE DIE DIE**

"LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE YOU LITTLE PRICK!"

Nothing. No zombies, no decapitated body parts, just a normal living room decorated for the happy holidays.

"Oh my…oh my…" Lola's hands were shaking, and she found herself taking long, deep breaths. This wasn't her, this wasn't her at all. She wasn't supposed to yell or curse or anything like that. She had usually seen herself as a kind and optimistic, yet here she was, screaming at the top of her voice with her hands balled into fists, ordering around some creatures that don't exist.

Maybe a good night's sleep would help her feel better.

After having staring at her finished Christmas tree some more, she got dressed in some pajamas she found, yellow ones with blotches, and lay down on his bed. Not her bed - his bed. Strangely, this bed felt more comfortable than hers.

"Oh, hello, Lola. Are we having a bit of family troubles?"

Lola blinked her eyes open and saw another of those strange creatures that had been plaguing her. This one though – was very familiar. So familiar that she couldn't help but laugh.

"What, may I ask, is so humorous?"

Lola stifled a giggle to explain. "I get it now, I get it now. None of this is real, none of it. I'm just imagining things. I bet Dad's not even in that place. I bet he's not even a bunny. Ha! I bet he died in a car crash or something and this whole thing is a coping mechanism or something."

"What proof do you have for this theorem?"

"You, for one thing! You're definitely not real! You're just a character in a book, a fairy tale! Ha!"

"Oh, sure, believe what you want to believe. I'm a fabrication. I'm not real at all. And neither is _this_."

Whiskers stood right there in the doorway. Lola couldn't tell whether he was grinning or snarling, but it certainly appeared like he had murder on his mind. He bounced from the doorway to attack Lola, but she leapt from under the duvet and ran away.

Now was her chance. Now she could get revenge on him. He would die, murdered by her own bare hands.

Maybe that's why he turned her into a snake.

The knife shone seductively. She had to grab it…she had to hold it…she had to _use_ it…

**DIE DIE DIE**

Whiskers leapt into the kitchen, but he didn't budge an inch when Lola stabbed him in the heart. He didn't retaliate when the thick, crimson liquid dripped out, staining the floor, his clothes and his daughter. She didn't care – she loved the blood. She adored it, it was nectar to her.

"You deserve to die you bastard." Lola snapped, "You deserve to…"

**BURN**

She began spreading petrol all over the house, a holy ooze that would cleanse this godforsaken building in which he lived...

The knife may have been attractive but the way the flame danced on the tip of the match was much more tempting. Oh yes, Whiskers should go to Hell. He should burn and rot and burn and scream and burn and burn…

She threw the match to the ground.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Oh crap."

Those were Lorenzo's first words that morning. When he got up, he had an unprovoked memory of Brandy and the _magical_ night they had spent together, which led him to think about what Whiskers would think of it. That Whiskers sure had his eye on Brandy a lot, and were he to find his own prize killer was doing his true love…

"Oh…_crap_."

* * *

The shadow had appeared again, this time taking the form of what appeared to be a giant black octopus, with bony fingers at the end of each tentacle, and two tentacles functioning as legs, even though with legs as thin as those, you wouldn't expect them to hold up a body of that size. It had once again come to Gaspar, but this time, he wasn't really all that frightened.

"Not you again. Go away, it's Christmas," Gaspar said.

The shadow screamed horribly, its tentacles wobbling like jelly. "Why do you deny me? Christmas is an extremely appropriate time for me to come visit you! I am a much better gift-giver than that obese red creature. And you can have my gifts just as soon as you do one little task…"

A curved dagger materialized in Gaspar's left hand.

"You must kill the one known as Whiskers."

"Whiskers?"

"He has been meddling with unknown forces opposed to me and has been using surreal powers to his sick advantage. He has been kidnapping people and has been taking them to his strange island. He claims to be helping them, but it's all a lie. He never rescues anyone from third world countries, and has been known to brutally murder them where they stand. His destruction will be a salvation for millions.

"Do it."

Gaspar nodded his head at that moment, not because of the rewards that he had been promised, but because of the fear and confusion that was swallowing him up.

Suddenly, he vanished.

The shadow, the creature, whatever it was retreated back to the darkness from whence it came and let out a victorious laugh.

"This is going to be so much _fun_."

Gaspar had been transported to Whiskers' world.

He was back in his fedora and trenchcoat, and now he was standing in the middle of a room made of light brown stone, illuminated by blazing torches. He looked at the weapon that had been bestowed upon him, then back at his surroundings. What sort of person was Whiskers? Was he powerful?

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Guards! Guards!"

That was the blaring voice that shook the whole room and actually caused it sounds of alarms to go off, in a sort of comical way. Just as Gaspar was about to run away in cowardice, two spearheads appeared right in front of his eyes. The spears were held in the hands – wings – of two toucans, wearing golden helmets and collars.

"Freeze! You shouldn't be here! You're human!"

"You must be taken to see the master."

The birds held the spears to Gaspar's back and forced him to march up a long, winding stone staircase. As Gaspar ascended, he heard the two guards having a little 'conversation'.

"Think Whiskers is gonna do to this guy what he did with that Brandy girl?"

"Definitely. I tell ya, Cheryl, that jaguar thing is _nasty_."

"I hear that."

"Y'know, I pity this poor guy. I'd let him go if…if…."

Cheryl stuttered as she attempted to finish the sentence, as badmouthing her new master was seriously paining her.

Eventually, the staircase came to an end, and Gaspar was shoved on his face through a wooden door. He lifted himself off the floor, only to find the rabbit himself sitting at a desk, the only light being emitted from a pair of golden candelabras. As Whiskers witnessed the human that had dared enter his private sanctum, his eyes narrowed and his features twisted into a horrific snarl.

Whiskers pounded his fist on the table. "What are you doing here?"

Gaspar never gave an answer. He just held the dagger up in the air and charged towards Whiskers. This was a seriously idiotic move, as it merely ended with Whiskers leaping into the air and slugging Gaspar in the face. Gaspar fell to the hard stone floor, dropping the dagger on the ground. Whiskers ran to Gaspar and tightly grabbed his neck.

"Oh, you wanted to kill me? That's it, isn't it? _Everybody_ wants to ruin my happiness, don't they?" Whiskers eyed the dagger and picked it up off the floor. "You know, I could easily kill you with the weapon you brought…"

"But that would be too easy."

Whiskers' sentence was concluded by the jaguar standing by the doorway.

"I don't want my little pet to miss out." Lorenzo crouched down on all fours, ready to attack. The real reason was because Whiskers actually didn't have the guts to kill intruders himself and thus, had to rely on henchmen to do the job for him.

Lorenzo pounced upon his hapless prey. Gaspar screamed at the top of his voice and darted out the door, and ended up tumbling down the winding staircase, giving him such pain.

The minute Lorenzo left the vicinity of the room, Whiskers slammed his head down on his desk and began to sob. Not because he was going to murder another soul, but rather because he hated it whenever his methods were mocked. Why must these people spit in his face and treat him as a madman He _knew _Gaspar was here to ruin what he had now dedicated his life to.

He was no better than…

_No, I don't want to think about _those _two.

* * *

_

Gaspar should have been in great pain after falling down such a high flight of stairs. He should have been brutally murdered by a vicious beast owned by a psychotic rodent.

Instead, he found himself somewhere entirely different from both the world he came from and the world the shadow sent him to. This place was merely a large grey slab floating above a gigantic pit of nothingness.

Nothing made sense to him. Everything that had occurred just seemed like one random surreal event after the other. He tried to tell himself he was dreaming, he tried to make sense of the memories this night had burned into his mind…

But he couldn't.

"We're here to help."

Oh joy. _Another_ strange voice from nowhere. However, this one was feminine, and sounded more welcoming. Gaspar turned around to see three other humans standing before him. The first was a female with auburn hair tied into a bun, wearing a light blue, short-sleeved shirt and a navy skirt. The second was the tallest of the three, a male with neat black hair and a goatee, donning a smart black business suit. The third was the least formal, a voluptuous female with long brown hair that gleamed in invisible light, wearing nothing but a red two-piece swimsuit and black high-heeled sandals.

This was yet another surreal random event.

"Don't be afraid," said the third figure, "We've come to help you."

"That figure you encountered earlier," said the second figure in a British accent, "was a liar. He was impersonating a God to damn many. If it weren't for us, you'd be in trouble."

"But he was right about Whiskers." added the first figure, "We chose Whiskers to help us build a world where the downtrodden could find solace. Unfortunately, the power corrupted him, and now we have considered hiring someone else."

"Me?"

"You," the second figure said, "using your mind and imagination, must create a world of your very own. This world will be a place where those that have been tortured and oppressed will have peace, respect and refuge. And there will be plenty for _you_ as well."

Gaspar lay on his knees, confused and frightened at the same time. However, among all of this confusion and fear, there was a spark of excitement deep within. There was _nothing_ for him in _that _world. Nothing but a desperate job, lonely nights underneath the slow spinning of a ceiling fan, and the occasional Guinness.

"Come on," the third figure begged Gaspar in a seductive whisper, "you _want_ to do it."

* * *

Lorenzo was on the first floor of Whiskers' abode, pounding his fists – paws - on the walls and kicking air. He had that little squirt right in front of him and what happened? The guy disappeared! Lorenzo had actually seen Gaspar vanish into thin air. Just when he was about to attack!

But the more pressing question was…

_How am I gonna tell it to him?_

The jaguar immediately ceased his temper tantrum and just sat there on all fours. What would he tell Whiskers? That the prey just _vanished_? Oh, that's a real funny joke, everyone laugh at the funny joke.

He could just see Whiskers. That rabbit would get as furious as the devil, yell various angry words and then…

"Oh, **CRAP**."

Lorenzo just ran to his downstairs quarters.

He just ran.

He would hide there until Whiskers forgot about the intruder, like a child afraid of what his mother would say if she found out he broke her favourite vase.

* * *

The shadow creature that Gaspar had encountered earlier was still lurking in the depths from which he spawned from, but this time he was in a different form. He was in the form he found most comfortable; he was still a shadow, but was wearing a trenchcoat and fedora, similar to the ones Gaspar wore, only these were a dark grey. Now he actually had appendages and what could be called facial features; two yellow eyes with pupils that looked like spots of ink. He was sitting at a table, drumming his bony fingers in boredom. As he sat, contemplating his boredom and what would happen to Gaspar, he was approached by none other than his brother.

Although, he could easily call him 'brother_s'_ or 'sisters' or even 'brothers and sisters'. He was the 'they' Whiskers spoke of and that Gaspar encountered, a figure that could create several copies of himself. His natural state was a single person; a rotting corpse wearing a navy business suit.

"We know why you sent Gaspar, brother."

"Oh?" said the trenchcoated figure, broken out of his boredom, "Why was that, then?"

"You were merely out trying to spoil our enjoyment, weren't you? How childish."

The shadowed creature gave a look that could be interpretated as sheepish.

"Don't forget, dear brother, you are _not_ on our master's good side."

"I don't give a damn about that guy."

"And what's this? You were trying to make people worship you again, weren't you? You only want to be a god because you fear the real deal."

"I do not!"

"When you fear something, you wish to become it. You of all people should know this, as fear is your main weapon. And,we took this little fact into account when we had a little talk with your friend Gaspar."

"What?"

"You see, the reason we gave Whiskers that world to rule was because we knew it would drive him _mad_. If we give him a rival, not only will the rival be driven _mad_, Whiskers will be driven _even more mad_."

"Oh, brother, I don't know whether to compliment you or attack you out of jealousy."

Two brothers, both against the same force (whose identity was obvious), both with different methods. One used fear to his advantage, one used madness. Although they used different methods, both envied each other, yet glorified in each other's victories.

For them, every sin was a virtue.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"_Hey! I'm very sensitive about not having the arms, okay?"_

"_Or legs, or eyelids, or a butt!"_

She loved it here.

How could she not love it?

The walls, the ceiling, the floor were pure, white and soft, like snow or perhaps, an angel. There was always a little bit of light. She had her own private little room, one that looked like a bouncy castle, all to herself, where she could be alone with her thoughts and she even had a visitor who always listened to what she had to say.

And there was laughter. Laughter like a clown's. Everybody likes laughter. Everybody likes clowns.

And, best of all, there was protection. Protection from all the big meanies and monsters of the world that were all out to get her. Protection from a _certain someone_.

"Dinner time."

Oh, goody. The big fat man in white is here with din-dins. He's got a big bucket of mice. Fresh white mice with little pink noses. The tail is good, the stomach is better but the head, the eyeballs, the brain are best. Scrumptious. Bye-bye fat man.

It was beautiful here. It was wonderful here. It was…

_**I FUCKING HATE THIS PLACE DAMN YOU TO HELL**_

She had _wanted_ to go here. She had sent herself here. She thought it would help defeat the little voice – no, that big, booming voice - within her that said: 'END IT NOW YOU ARE WORTHLESS FREE YOURSELF NOBODY'LL MISS YOU, YOU WHINEY LITTLE BITCH'

She thought that freeing herself from Whiskers would make her human, but all it did was make her more of a beast. She was still a snake - a fact reinforced by the fact they wouldn't let her use her arms. At least he wouldn't dare come here; in fact, she imagined he would be elated to see her here. What fitting punishment, he would say. You called me mad, you go mad. Ha ha ha.

I thought you loved me.

I HATE YOU. I HATE YOUR GUTS.

But what about all the fun times we had? Don't you remember when we went to the beach that summer? When you won that sandcastle contest? When you got your toe nipped by a crab and we all laughed?

Those memories mean nothing. Syrupy nonsense.

Why did you do this to me? Why?

I was trying to help you!

"YOU MOTHERFUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! I WANT TO FUCKING KILL YOU! ARGH!"

"Tsk, tsk. Profanity is the crutch of the conversational cripple."

This room protected her from the bad monsters. All but one.

"This is all _your_ fault!"

"Fault? _Fault_? I was being nice! This place is wonderful!"

Her response was an ear-shattering scream. And then another.

"Being here means that you actually dare to stand out from the crowd and be your own person. To quote Baum, I am convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die unnoticed."

She let out another scream. "I DON'T CARE! I WANT MY ARMS! I WANT MY HUMANITY! GIVE IT BACK!"

"Why do you hate me? I didn't take your humanity or your arms. And besides, did I not hear you say that you didn't believe in me? That I was just a figment of your imagination?"

"You…you…YOU BURNED DOWN MY HOUSE! I'LL KILL YOU!"

She didn't kill him though. She just banged her head against the walls.

"You provide me with such whimsical entertainment, you know.' She screamed again. "I can see you're unhappy. I've brought a little friend to turn that frown upside-down."

A jaguar sat there. The jaguar wasn't Lorenzo, but it resembled him, including that disturbing smile. It even began rubbing against her and purring. Or was it growling? Yes, it was growling. Dogs growl when they're angry and wag their tails when they're happy. Cats growl when they're happy and wag their tails when they're angry. Are they mad?

"Don't worry," said the jaguar, "we're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad."

She stroked him. Not with her 'real' arms, which were trapped inside a jacket, but with an invisible phantom arm.

"I must be mad," she said in response, "or else I wouldn't have come here."

They disappeared.

"Who were you talking to?"

It was Dr Phyllis. She was a nice person, she always listened.

"I'm here," was all she told her visitor.

"Maybe you would like to lie down while we talk."

She would talk about her first father, how he took full responsibility for her when her mother passed away. She would talk about his role in her early childhood; how he helped with her first steps, her first day at school, how he would talk about his job. She _liked_ snakes back then; there was something childishly irresistible about creatures that were nothing but heads attached to long tails. She would talk about how her very world was shattered into a thousand pieces when he died, but how it was pieced back together…

Only to be shattered once more.

She had to force herself to speak of the memories she had with _him, _even the ones before the whole 'incident'. She had used them to escape from her present state and remember what her life was once like, yet at the same time, each of these recollections of happier times felt like a million daggers were digging deep into her body. They contrasted so much with the recent occurrences. Whiskers' madness, the murders, the power, whoever 'they' were; they seemed all the much worse when compared with more cheerful times.

But she did tell about happier moments. She told about one summer's day when the two went on a picnic together. They went out under a tree, next to a gushing stream, packing all of their favourite foods. He was laughing and enjoying himself, flying kites and rolling around in the grass as if he were young again as she watched him beneath the leaves blowing in the breeze. The warming sun, the refreshing breeze, the cloudless skies…

That beauty was emulated in _that_ world, but it only served to mask…

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

She lunged towards Dr Phyllis and her teeth dug deep into her fingers.

"That's it, that's it…"

Where are we going now?

She had found herself strapped down on a stretcher, restrained even more.

This was for her own good, however.

A thousand electric shocks would go through her brain, but t wouldn't hurt.

It would help keep all the nasty boogie woogies and creatures away. Everything would be the way they were supposed to.

Or maybe not.

There was a gorilla.

There was a gorilla with a gun.

_**BLAM.

* * *

**_

"A toast…"

The glasses of champagne clinked together in celebration.

"…to the eradication of yet another of _those _people."

That night, Whiskers was toasting what he assumed had happened to Gaspar. He sat at a grand table, with his two toucan gatekeepers at his side.

"It's a shame Lorenzo isn't here…"

The jaguar in question was approaching the door in which Whiskers was in, taking deep breaths, wringing his paws, trying to bring himself to tell his boss what had happened. He _wasn't _going to be afraid. He was going to show Whiskers how fearless he can be. Also, maybe Whiskers would just be glad that an intruder had left the vicinity of his world. It's not like that freak's going to return…

He slowly opened the door, only for him to be suddenly grabbed by Whiskers, chortling and laughing in such a festive manner.

"Whis…"

"Come, Lorenzo, join the celebrations!"

"Bu…" He tried to explain but Whiskers cut him off before he could even say the next syllable.

"You know," Whiskers told Lorenzo, tightly hugging him, "I've grown to enjoy your company. You really do appreciate what I'm doing, unlike _some people, _and you're useful for getting rid of unwanted garbage.You're almost like the son I never had. "

The very minute Whiskers made his way back to his seat, a blinding white light illuminated the room. This light began gradually shrinking until it resembled a door. Out of this door emerged…

Gorillas?

Yes, two gorillas ran quickly out of the door and towards the little 'celebration'. One of these primates knocked over the table while the other grabbed Whiskers by the neck. As Whiskers was taken away, kicking and screaming and begging for help, another gorilla came out of the door, heading for the toucan gatekeepers. The pair attempted to threaten the monkeys with their spears, but these weapons were whacked out of their wings in a matter of seconds, and, like their master, were almost strangled to death as they were brought through the door.

Lorenzo ran behind the collapsed table, doing nothing to help the gorilla's prisoners. He just sat there, confused by this occurrence that just appeared out of nowhere.

All of a sudden, two gorillas approached with their arms reaching out, ready to claim their captive. Unfortunately…

"ARGH!"

Both of them screamed in pain as Lorenzo leapt into the air and slashed them both in their faces. As they were brought to the ground, clutching their faces and screaming, the jaguar's face was lit with a hideous grin of triumph. Before the primates could lift themselves up and retaliate, Lorenzo dug his claws _oh so deep _into their backs, the screams were to his ears wondrous pieces of music and the blood was nectar; a prominent symbol of his new power.

Lorenzo was about to go through the portal of light and get to the bottom of this...

But he had to hesitate.

He felt something strange...some_one_ strange. Someone close by...someone _behind _him...

"Hello, Lorenzo."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Come in, I am_ not_ happy with you."

The trenchcoated demon walked towards his brother's lord and master.

"Make it quick, you pompous old creep…"

"Tut tut. Be more respectful to your elders."

The trenchcoated figure rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Anyway. As I told you a few seconds ago, I am not happy. You have meddled with the Otherworld too much."

"What? It's useful."

"Yes, but that imaginary friends incident was a total fiasco. A harebrained scheme that seemed to spawn from the mind of an immature pubescent."

"Watch it. You're going _way_ over the line."

"You can't even take a bit of constructive criticism? You're hopeless. But I digress. You seemed to have intentions of killing Whiskers."

"What of it?"

"I've just brought you here to tell you that I've thought of a much more delicious fate for that rabbit, that will bring him to my tea party in such a grand way. And lest I forget, your servant is my servant now. Toodles."

* * *

Brandy had longed for escape.

She had always wished to be somewhere else; away from her 'hometown', away from her apartment, away from the company she was forced to bear. She never wanted to hear those wailing sirens or watch those poor hobos waste their lives away on those murky streets.

She hated that life and everything – perhaps including every_one_ – that came with it.

She had dreamed of looking up and seeing nothing but a pale blue sky devoid of any clouds. She had dreamed of walking on sandy beaches, with warm summer winds and the sun rejuvenating her. She had dreamed of lush green fields, flourishing with flowers and trees.

So why was it that when her wishes to get away were answered, she didn't appreciate it?

It was all so sudden. She had been forcing herself to go to sleep that night, and then the entire room was enshrouded in blinding white light. She had been violently grabbed from her bed by a _huge gorilla _and was shoved through a door made out of light that almost looked heavenly.

_Whiskers._

The first word that had entered her mind the event occurred.

She hoped he wouldn't come back. She hoped that it was all a dream.

She _knew_ this wasn't a dream. She _knew_ this was real.

She could feel the grass brush against her face. She could feel the cold air of the night. She could feel the fur…

Yes, she had once again transformed into the mutant dog from her previous misadventure. The golden-brown fur, the floppy ears, the tail… this wasn't fantasy…this wasn't a dream…

"Whiskers!" she screamed at the top of her voice, pounding the ground with her fists.

"This ain't Whiskers' doin', girl."

Brandy opened her eyes and saw that standing right in front of her were Whiskers' two toucan gatekeepers.

"It's no use askin' us what's goin' on." one of the pair told Brandy.

"We were just minding our own business," the second toucan continued, "when – WHAM! – these gorillas came and took us here."

"And," added the sister, "we don't know where the heck Whiskers and jaguar boy have got to."

Brandy just sat there in the grass, trying to find the right words to say. This definitely wasn't Whiskers' world, and if these toucans were telling the truth, that must mean…

"Hello there."

The three females turned around and were greeted by yet another anthropomorphic creature. It looked like a speckled day gecko, only stretched to about five foot tall. Its eyes were a pale yellow and its iridescent scales gleamed in the moonlight. It was donning a regal red coat, with a light blue shirt underneath.

"Who…wh…"

"A thousand pardons, my fair lady, my name is Gaspar, and I am the dictator – slash – entrepreneur – slash – musical director of this world."

At that moment, he lifted Brandy's hand and gave it a peck.

"Don't worry, my dear," he said to the canine, "I'm nothing like Whiskers."

Brandy glared skeptically at the lizard. "How do I know you are? How do I know you won't…"

"_Don't _compare me to that wretch." Gaspar growled, "He had a world given to him, he was given a chance to be a Creator, but he blew his chance, brought despair and fear when he was meant to bring refuge…but _I'm_ not like that."

"But…I'm...still…"

"Ah, yes, your transformation," Gaspar answered in a rather friendly manner, "it's mandatory, I'm afraid. These worlds aren't free you know; the price is your humanity. Fortunately, being a Creator, I get to choose each and every form connected with this world. I chose the form you had in Whiskers' world because I thought you'd be more comfortable in it, as you've used it before. More or less the same reason I'm keeping those two as toucans."

"What about those monkeys?"

"Various soldiers from various places, aiding me in my goal. You see, unlike that rabbit, I plan to bring _everyone _here, to…get what they deserve."

Brandy's eyes bulged in horror.

Suddenly, she had a good idea about what happened to Whiskers.

* * *

_What…the…hell…happened…_

Whiskers slowly awoke, rubbing his eyes and groaning under his breath. The last thing he remembered was these gorillas barging in and…

_Oh my._

Whiskers had found himself lying at the bottom of a deep canyon, surrounded by large grey walls of rock which almost looked like giant fingers ready to attack. There was not a spot of colour to be seen anywhere; the entire place was painted with a monochrome palette. The ground on which Whiskers walked on was completely dry, with cracks almost forming a crazy paving pattern.

Whiskers walked down the canyon in curiosity, observing his surroundings, half expecting something to jump out at him and attack. What was this place? Why was he taken here? What manner of person…

"Whiskers?"

"Lola? Is that you?"

The cave looked like a giant nose, its nostrils were openings and even the stalactites and stalagmites resembled mucus. Lola was in there, Whiskers knew it. The voice sounded nothing like her, but it _had_ to be her. It wasn't 'parent's intuition' since they weren't related by blood, and Whiskers was sure it wasn't the powers he had gained from being a Creator. It was just a gut feeling. He entered the cave carefully, the smell of roast brimstone flying right into his nostril.

"Geez, it's like a volcano in here…"

"Oh, it's you."

"Lol…"

What he saw looked nothing like Lola. It sounded nothing like Lola. It acted nothing like Lola. It was Lola though, yet it wasn't.

"I'm dead, Whiskers," she growled, "I died insane. Now I'm forced to spend _eternity_ in this…this…"

"Pl…"

"I know you did this!" Lola stared at Whiskers with a fierce look of contempt, biting her lip to stop her from crying.

"I did no…"

"**SHUT UP!**" Lola screamed, tears of fury rolling down her scaly face, "Why are you doing this to me? Why did you drive me _insane_? You've ruined my life and I just want you to _die!_"

"Pl…"

"Leave me alone! I hate…**I HATE YOU! **I…hate…"

Whiskers ran.

She was once a beautiful young woman. She was once caring, kind, someone you would like to be with and have as your child.

Now…this.

Why?

No…she can't…she had been so important to him…giving him solace and refuge when he needed it…he had loved her…he wanted to give her the childhood he had dreamed of…she was always there for him…she loved him…did she…

**I HATE HATE HATE YOU**

"I…love…y…"

_If you loved her, why did you do all this to her?_

Whiskers heard a voice- actually he didn't _hear _it; it just seemed to register in his mind and nowhere else.

_You changed her.._

_But did you love her?_

"I…I…"

_**DID YOU?**_

_You forced her to live in fear! You transformed her into a mere snake, an insignificant creature deprived of appendages, the very creature that led Adam and Eve to their downfall!_

Whiskers saw Lola transform right before his eyes. Well, actually, he saw a transforming _skeleton_. He witnessed the skeleton's limbs shrink until they vanished and the body elongate. When the transformation was complete, the skeleton snake reared up and swallowed him whole, trapping him inside a huge ribcage.

_You wanted her to die, didn't you? She rightly rejected you when you trapped her in that miserable world of yours, so you held nothing but contempt for her. You glorified in her death because that was _exactly_ what you wanted to happen._

_Because of **YOU** she would be better off dead. She had been driven **MAD**, condemned to a life in the loony bin, because of you. **YOU**!_

Whiskers gulped in fear.

"Why…why…are you doing this?"

_You've been very naughty, Whiskers._

_And this is your punishment.

* * *

_

Brandy had once again found herself in the gorillas' grasp, as she was frantically kicking in a feeble attempt to escape. She still didn't trust Gaspar, and she could only imagine what Whiskers was being put through. She was almost certain that Gaspar was going to fly off the handle and attempt to threaten her in some way.

"You can open your eyes now."

The gorillas hastily dropped Brandy onto the ground with a thump as she slowly opened her eyes, surprised at what she saw.

She had brought to a fairground, illuminated greatly by artificial lights of several colours. Brandy's eyes greedily feasted on every detail of this spectacle. There was just about everything you would expect from this sort of place; a large striped tent surrounded by several rides, stalls selling various food items, a slowly rotating Ferris wheel staring down at the patrons, all dominated by a gigantic roller coaster, a monster of steel awaiting its next rider.

"Whoa." was all Brandy could say in response to her arrival.

"Ooh!" cried Cheryl as she observed the setting, "A Ferris wheel! I used to love these when I was a kid!"

Brandy was interested. Brandy had always wanted to go to one of these fairgrounds, in hopes of some excitement in her usually bland life. However, this fairground not only excited her, but left her frightened and suspicious. The fact that it looked so innocent only added to the foreboding atmosphere it gave off. She merely stood there, gazing at the flamboyantly-lighted spectacle.

"Have a treat."

Gaspar seemed to appear out of nowhere as he shoved a stick of cotton candy right in Brandy's face.

"Try some."

Brandy took a bite out of the treat and…

She could hardly find the words to describe it. She never really could see beauty to something like taste, but this…this…she could hardly believe it.

"Do you like it?"

The only response Brandy could give was nodding her head.

"Maybe you would like to go on a ride, maybe?" Gaspar cooed as he grabbed Brandy by the hand, bringing her deeper into his world.

"What did you do with Whiskers!" Brandy snapped at Gaspar rapidly, no longer able to keep it to herself.

"Why?" Gaspar inquired, with a hint of fury in his voice, "Are you _worried _about him?"

"Well…"

"Whiskers is nothing but a filthy little _scum_!" Gaspar snarled like a ferocious beast, "He deserves to _rot in **HELL!**_"

Brandy fell to the ground as Gaspar roared at her. She was instantly reminded of _someone else _at that moment.

"A thousand apologies," Gaspar told Brandy in a somewhat calmer tone, "but you just…deserve better than Whiskers, you know. Now come, enjoy yourself."

Brandy wanted to enjoy herself. She wanted to have all the fun of the fair.

Is it difficult to enjoy yourself with the knowledge that someone, or maybe millions of people in some cases,are suffering? Do the thoughts of their screaming and anguish interfere with your thoughts of self-enjoyment?

Or does this knowledge help you have fun, with the assurance that you are far better off than they are?

Brandy asked herself those very questions.

_Whiskers...

* * *

_

"What are you doing to me?"

Whiskers tried, tried, _tried_ to find a way out of the maze. Dead ends were awaiting him behind every corner, and it the walls…were they closing in? Oh, they are, they _are_, they're doing it very slowly, but they are closing in **MAKE IT STOP LET ME OUT**

_I'll let you out._

Will you?

_But first, you must answer one question._

What is this question?

_WHY! Why did you agree to create that world? Why did you trap people there?_

It was…to help them. I wanted to take them away from that cruel world…

_LIAR! If you wanted to help them, why did you delight in seeing them die? Why did you want them to live in fear and confusion?_

I didn't…I did care…I just…

_Oh, I know what this is. This is because poor wittle Whiskers is sad because something bad happened to him?_

At that moment, Whiskers left the maze entirely. Suddenly, he was a child again, back in the old apartment, staring at…

The pain…the pain…

The beatings. The drunken, angry beatings. They were back. He had ran away from home; he deserved to be punished. He was furiously punched in the face, the gut…no…don't…

There was this _other _pain too. Much worse than the physical pain he was receiving from the blows. This pain was sweeping his entire body, caused by remembrance of this event…caused by the mocking…

"**I'M GOING TO GET YOU IF YOU RUN AWAY AGAIN YOU LITTLE BASTARD**"

I thought I had forgotten this…

Suddenly, Whiskers found himself back in the maze, back in his 'regular' form, still hearing…

_You were afraid of him, Whiskers. So you _became _him, hoping to install the same fear into everyone around you. It must feel so good to make people afraid…_

_OH WAIT! I know why you did all of this! It was all to milk some cheap sympathy from everyone! What about all those people in third world countries? What about all those victims of war? You didn't bring them to your world! Maybe it was because you weren't _thinking _of them…_

Was I? Wasn't I? Maybe…perhaps…

_NO YOU WEREN'T! IT WAS ALL FOR YOU YOU SELFISH LITTLE TWAT!_

Please…don't…

_Maybe that was why you adopted Lola; just so you can have someone to pity you._

_I almost pity you myself. You try to be a high, mighty ruler but I know that you're nothing but a child._

_Well, guess what, mommy's not here to help you…_

Just…leave...me…alone…

_Do you know how I know all this?_

_They told me everything about you…_

They did?

_They told me how they gave you that world. They told me how they gave you power. Then they told me about how you WASTED that power, how you made everyone's life WORSE and what a MISTAKE it was to get you to do the job!_

No, no, they can't. I was trying to do good…I love...I love…I care…

_**SHUT UP YOU'RE GETTING WHAT YOU DESERVE YOU STUPID LITTLE WRETCH YOU TORTURE YOU HUMILIATE YOU KILL YOU KILL AND YOU DESERVE TO DIE MOTHERFUCKER**_

Whiskers just fell to the floor. He knew what this was. This was just _another _way for the world to torment him, to turn him into some sort of amusing spectacle, to _laugh _at him…

**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA **

The laughter got louder, _louder, _like the pounding of drums, each of them tearing a part of his soul.

All of a sudden, he looked up and saw none other than Brandy Harrington, just standing there.

_Beautiful, isn't she?_

Him again.

_I'm going to give her a chance to save you. If you're lucky, she'll feel sorry for the poor little rabbit standing right in front of her._

_All she has to do is give you her hand._

Brandy just stood there, watching Whiskers crawl towards her, his hand begging for hers.

"P…please…pl…ple…" Whiskers gasped between heavy sobs.

Brandy couldn't just let this poor creature suffer. He was lying there, bawling his head off like a defenceless baby, hoping for her…

But still…

This was the very same creature that roared at her, threatened her…

He forced people to live on his jungle world, deprived his own daughter of arms and legs and tortured and murdered people just because they upset him.

No…

She wasn't going to help him. Not only was he a ruthless killer, he was also a little kid, eager for attention.

_Looks like she isn't helping you this time._

_She deserves so much better…_

"Sh…shut…"

_Oh dear, I'm insulting you, aren't I? Well, if you feel so strongly about your world…_

With a triumphant flash, Gaspar appeared in the room, smiling victoriously.

"Why don't you fight me?" he concluded in a mocking tone.

Whiskers was looking at the creature that had killed his daughter, laughed at him, mocked him, slandered him and took pride in his suffering.

He wanted to attack the lizard, to brutally murder him so he knew how Lola felt…

But he didn't.

He just lay there, burying his face in his hands, sobbing.

Gaspar merely rolled his eyes as he saw Whiskers crying, while Brandy actually ran up to him.

"Whiskers…" was all she whispered to him.

"**SHUT UP!**" Whiskers bawled in Brandy's face, "I…I…I hate you. I hate you, Lola…I hate you, Brandy…_I HATE YOU ALL! _I'm just some joke to you…you _like _seeing me suffer, don't you…why…I _HATE_…I hate…ha…"

"Pathetic." Gaspar moaned, as he grabbed a dagger from thin air. "I might as well put him out of his misery."

He slowly approached Whiskers, wielding the weapon above his head, leaving Brandy to merely watch as…

**WHACK!**

Gaspar was immediately whacked against a wall, just as he was about to do the deed.

Lorenzo.

The jaguar was there, licking saliva off his furry lips as he drew closer…

"Get away, lizard," the feline snarled, "he's _mine_."

Oh, it felt so _good_, staring at the miserable little specimen lying there, crying his eyes out, so defenceless…

"I've been waiting so long for this…" Lorenzo hissed, "I'm not your pet anymore."

Once, he had been afraid of this being right here, so to see _him_ afraid…it was a dream come true. Relishing this display of sorrow and hypocritical tears, Lorenzo raised his paw, ready to strike.

_No, no, _Whiskers thought to himself,

_This shouldn't be how it ends…_

It was right then Whiskers wished he had never gained that world. He just wanted to return to his human life, watch Lola grow up, see her lead a normal childhood _I SENT HER MAD I SENT HER THERE _all those memories, the long summer days, the hugs, giving each other Christmas presents…all gone…she was like a daughter, she was like a mother, now she was dead, gone forever, never to return…why…do they enjoy this…

It was over.

What was once a vicious tyrant, a loving father, and a defenceless child all at one was no more than a bloody pulp.

Brandy barely shed a tear. A voice inside her screamed furiously, begging her to realise that this demise was fitting punishment, silencing any thought she may have that she should feel sorry for the poor creature.

Gaspar, however, merely stood there with his eye twitching in rage. He was the one who was supposed to kill Whiskers, he was the one who held so much contempt for that selfish little rabbit. However, since he did despise the rodent, he did obtain some pleasure from Whiskers' slow, torturous death.

He still wouldn't let Lorenzo have the last laugh.

"That was _my _victim, you stupid feline!" Gaspar cried, as he rushed to Lorenzo with his dagger raised high.

Lorenzo merely let a slight chuckle escape his throat as he heard Gaspar's threats. "Fool."

If Gaspar had blinked at that moment, he would have missed Lorenzo snatch the dagger out of his scaly hand.

"Give that back!" Gaspar snapped, although he knew the jaguar wouldn't obey.

"You know," Lorenzo said, half to Gaspar, half to himself, "I could merely stab you in the heart and it'll be over. But that would be too anticlimactic, wouldn't it?"

Lorenzo threw the dagger over his shoulder and let it slide into the corner. The minute Gaspar ran for the weapon, he was punched in the stomach and was thrown against a wall.

The gecko's eyes narrowed in determination as he saw Lorenzo smirk at him as if he were some sort of joke. He _wasn't _going to be defeated by one of _Whiskers' _creations.

"Ha," Lorenzo laughed childishly, "that the best you got?"

Gaspar leapt off the floor and darted towards Lorenzo, who laughed again and caused him to fall face first onto the floor. Gaspar attempted to get up, but he was quickly clawed in the back.

"You…" Gaspar gasped, "little…freak…"

"Now," Lorenzo growled, "let me show you that I'm _not **HUMAN.**_"

Brandy did nothing to help either of them. Brandy did nothing to stop the battle.

She just watched in awe, _praying _for this to be over.

"Our father…who art in heaven…" she whispered. She _knew_ this whole ordeal had something to do with forces opposed to the Almighty, and begged for Him to do _something._

"AARGH!"

A cry of death immediately broke her out of her train of thought.

He had hoped to save. He had hoped to punish. He wanted to be like a god, seeking out everyone from Earth and giving them _everything _they deserved.

He would do it no longer.

Brandy had to witness in horror as each of Gaspar's entrails were pulled out of his body and Lorenzo **ate** each of them contently.

Two creators. Two psychotic creatures controlled by unknown forces. Two opposing fighters with different ideas of how a perfect world should be.

Both dead. Both brutally murdered. Both nothing more but a pile of blood and entrails.

Isabelle.

"Well, well, fancy meeting you here, Brandy." She picked up Gaspar's dagger and tossed it in Brandy's direction.

"Aren't you going to kill me now? Are you? Don't you hate me?" Brandy's grip tightened. "Or maybe you don't, because I'm all you have left? I mean, Whiskers and Gaspar are dead, and that Lorenzo…ugh…"

'_If you kill this one, you'll be one step closer to murdering the real deal and having a happy life again.'_

Lorenzo grinned.

Brandy stabbed.

There was blood.

All of a sudden, the ground beneath Brandy began rumbling, shaking her furiously. The entire building started breaking into pieces as strong beams of light shoe through. Each broken piece of this once glorious world began vanishing into thin air, leaving Brandy to fall into blackness.

Falling…

Falling…

Deeper…

Darker…

Laughter…

Laughter. A strange mixture of Lorenzo's victorious yet humiliating laughter and the laughter that Whiskers continually heard in his sleep.

**HA HA HA**

Falling…

**HA HA HA**

Falling…

**HA HA HA HA HA HA**

Deeper…

**HA HA HA HA HA HA**

Darker…

**HA HA HA HA HA**_ stop laughing _**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA**_ please stop laughing you're scaring me _**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA**_ STOP _**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA**

_STOP THE DAMN LAUGHING YOU BASTARD I WANT YOU TO STOP I HATE YOU STOP LAUGHING_

Then Brandy woke up.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

_Believe in us, believe in our world,_

_Rapture and joy dwell within,_

_Always believe in our world_

_Never let your belief grow thin,_

_Dreams come true in our world,_

_You'll always wear a grin!_

It was a dream.

It. Was. A. Dream.

IT WAS A DREAM DAMMIT.

Yes, that's it. None of what transpired could possibly have been real. They were all stupid, deranged fantasies brought about by watching too much TV or something like that. There are no monsters. There is nothing out to get you. There is no Whiskers, no Isabelle, no Gaspar, and no Lorenzo. You're not in a dark abyss; you're in your bed safe and sound.

No you're not.

Brandy found herself on _a_ bed, but definitely not _her_ bed. Her bed wasn't this big, it wasn't this soft, and it definitely wasn't covered in blood.

Isabelle lay there dead.

Gaspar's dagger was still in her hand, and it had been plunged right into Isabelle, who was now in a weaker, yet just as hideous, human form. A look of shock lay fixed upon her face, and the rancid smell had caused flies to buzz around her carcass. The knife had not only been plunged right into her heart, it had been used to cut her open like an animal at a butcher shop. Her entrails, her small intestine, her large intestine, her stomach and her lungs were scattered around the room, and Brandy had the strangest urge to pick them up and rub them against her skin – not only that – but eat them as well. They were delicious.

Isabelle's 'boyfriend' had seen the whole thing, and just lay there. Brandy saw him, and, out of animalistic instinct, plunged the dagger into his face. More blood. Blood is good. Blood tastes good. Blood feels good; all gooey and lucious.

"Oh…"

It was a dream. Yes it was.

She was shocked by the way she had just acted, but at the same time, reminded herself that she always knew it would happen someday. She could not deny it, she could not make excuses; she was mad. Insane. Looney tunes.

"Oh no…"

She buried her face in her bloodstained hands, feeling the streaming tears come from her eyes and her teeth biting her lip harshly. She had wanted to be a good person, she had wanted to be in control of her life, but she had allowed herself to become nothing more but a mindless killer. Whiskers, Lorenzo, Lola, they were all delusions and creations born from her mind to reflect her own decaying sanity. She had this figured out too late when nothing could be done.

Nothing could be done.

**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA**

**NOTHING CAN BE DONE.**

"This is brilliant!"

Lorenzo himself stood over the two corpses, looking like an art critic as he surveyed them. He grinned.

"I knew you were the one, Brandy."

Brandy turned her back and stared at a wall. "Go away. Leave me alone."

"But, Brandy, c'mon. We had something. Don't you remember that wonderful evening we spent together?"

"It wasn't _wonderful_, you little bastard…"

Lorenzo grabbed Brandy by the arms. "Brandy, Brandy…I've got just the thing to help cheer you up…"

Immediately, Brandy developed a strange itch on her arm – no, both her arms – no, her whole body. Wait – it wasn't an itch – it was fur; fur sprouting all over her body like grass in a field. She was transforming again, but this time she could_ feel _the transformation, the loss of her humanity was screaming at her in the face. She didn't close her eyes once, or even blink, she felt witnessing the transformation was necessary. She looked at her hands and saw her thumb shrinking away, and claws beginning to sprout from her fingertips. She saw a long tail slither out from her behind. Her har grew shorter and blended in with her other fur. Her teeth grew thinner, longer and sharper, and her face stretched. Even her breasts had begun to shrink back into her body, as – pop- new nipples appeared. The most painful part of the metamorphosis was what was happening to her legs – or her hind legs – as they bended and shifted in ways they weren't intended to go. There was one finishing touch to the change – her mouth being pulled by unseen forces, creating an artificial yet disturbing smile frozen on her face.

She was a jaguar. A second grinning, murderous jaguar to compliment another.

All she could do was laugh.

"Brandy, don't treat this like a joke. You and I have joined the kinship of the Cheshire Cats."

"The what?"

Another voice joined the conversation. "The Cheshire Cats, my greatest army. A force stronger and fiercer than any human. As a Cheshire Cat, your duty is to patrol the Otherworld, spreading nightmares and madness wherever you go, and I guarantee you'll savour every last minute of it."

Lorenzo smirked. "What he said."

Brandy was just about to ask who it was that gave that little bit of exposition, but all she had to do was turn to the doorway and see none other than the Mad Hatter standing there; looking vaguely like a tall human wearing a top hat and tails, but with blue skin, and his head being nothing but two eyes atop a stalk.

At earlier times, Brandy would've yelled 'What the fuck?', she would've screamed, she would've convinced herself it wasn't real. Yet, after all that happened, his appearance made perfect sense.

"You…it's_ your_ fault, isn't it…"

"Why does everyone automatically assume I'm a villain? It's truly irritating. I'm trying to help you."

Brandy had got so sick at that sentence being said to her it wasn't funny.

"Were it not for me," sad the Hatter, his hand placed on his chest proudly, "your mother would still be alive and you and Lorenzo would've never become such an item. Oh, young love."

Brandy couldn't answer at all; instead choosing to laugh.

"Oh! Not believing in my existence again! You teenagers, you don't respect the true value of insanity! Too occupied with your Lincoln Park and your Eviserance and what not. Well, I think I have just the remedy."

The Hatter reached into his pocket and pulled out a large one-eyed dormouse.

"This is prey. You are a predator." The dormouse plopped right onto the floor. "Kill it, and Lorenzo, don't help her or I'll have you made human again."

The poor little dormouse. He was huddled in a corner, shuddering in fear, closing his one good eye and awaiting his destiny. Brandy couldn't kill him; she had already murdered two human beings, and regretted it. The humans she regretted murdering were hideous wastes of humanity; how could she kill a little animal that was cute and defenceless?

Her brain said no. Her body said yes. As much as her brain objected, her body made her attack. Her body made her rip out entrails. Her body made her tear off the head. Her body said yes. Her brain said yes. Her brain instantly took back any objections it made, and giggled in glee like an entertained baby. It didn't even stop giggling when the dormouse somehow revived itself.

"Didn't you enjoy that, Brandy?" Lorenzo said in a voice that was both mocking and friendly.

"Yes," she replied. Like the attack, the answer was unprovoked and instinctive.

"All fine and dandy," said the Hatter, leaping in joy on the spot, "but there's one more ceremonious step to complete…"

The scene changed.

* * *

"_Here comes the bride!_

_All dressed in white!_"

Her nightgown had become a white flowing dress, and in her claws were a bouquet of roses. She walked slowly down the elegant red carpet, between pews in which were seated other grinning felines. She walked down towards an archway…

"_Here comes the bride!_

_Groom by her side!_"

….where Lorenzo awaited her. He was also dressed for the occasion, donning top hat and tails, but, in what seemed to be homage to anthropomorphic cartoons, no pants. Both jaguars stood before the minister, a giant hare, a giant _march_ hare.

"OK, chaps, let's make this quick, I'm missing Bananas in Pyjamas," said the March Hare, "Lorenzo, do you take Brandy as your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, for all eternity?"

"I do."

All time froze when the next question was posed. "Brandy, do you take Lorenzo as your lawful wedded husband and all that?"

Could she? Lorenzo was not only a killer, but the creation of another killer. With this marriage, she would vow to spend eternity calling a murderous beast her husband. Yet…

"I do."

"With the power invested to me by the Great and Powerful Hatter who we all owe our very lives too, for without him we would be horribly miserable and hopeless, I now pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Lorenzo grabbed Brandy and gave her the classic 'wet, sloppy' kiss, his tongue wiggling around in her mouth, saliva dripping everywhere. As he embraced her, Brandy couldn't help but be reminded of that time they reunited in that dream and how wonderful – no, _dirty_ – she felt afterwards.

"Come," said Lorenzo, "let's go home."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_And ever since that,' the Hatter went on in a mournful tone, __he won't do a thing I ask! It's always six o'clock now.'  
__  
A bright idea came into Alice's head. Is that the reason so __many tea-things are put out here?' she asked._

_Yes, that's it,' said the Hatter with a sigh: it's always __tea-time, and we've no time to wash the things between whiles.'_

The dragon was watching.

The dragon was angry. The dragon was vicious. The dragon was vengeful.

The dragon was Lola.

After her demise in the real world, Lola's soul was now permanently part of the Otherworld, her rage and lust for vengeance twisting her into a form that she found more despicable than her boa form, despite the appendages.

Whiskers just sat there. He didn't move, he didn't budge even a little bit. Lola could have just got him there and then, she could have grabbed him with one of her claws, she could have bit his head off or stomped him under her foot like a tiny little insect. However, a leash practically strangling her restrained her; she was nothing more than an animal, a circus beast meant to entertain.

"WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD?"

"Lola, I'm sorry…"

"_Fuck_ your apologies! This…this…AARGH!"

Whiskers cowered.

"HOW DOES IT FEEL?" HA HA HA HA HA!

"Please…"

"YOU ARE A WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT AND IF YOU DIED NOBODY WOULD GIVE A FLYING FUCK. YOU DESERVE ALL THIS. HA HA HA HA!"

Whiskers turned away from her and to the others surrounding him. The chuckling, spastic, weeping, murderous others. A number of madmen and lunatics that pretended he didn't exist, for all they could focus on was their tea.

The tea party was one of the Hatter's greatest accomplishments, a place where all the souls of the insane could gather, but not necessarily pay attention to each other. They were too vicious to go to Heaven yet too pathetic to go to Hell. They should live in bliss here, or however it is that lunatics live…

"Ah, Whiskers, just the man I wanted to talk to!"

The Hatter was back.

"You…you…" Whiskers shook with anger in his seat, yet he didn't stand up.

"I! I! Oh, this is about me seating you next, I _had_ to."

"What?"

"It was a reminder! Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them."

"Is that a quote from something I've never heard of?"

"It is."

"Well, stop those, they're making my head hurt."

"I can do what I bloody well like, thank you very much. I gave you that world and you lose it. I owe you nothing."

Lola joined in. "HA HA HA!"

"What about Brandy?"

"Brandy? No, we only serve tea here."

"No, Brandy Harrington."

"Oh. Her."

* * *

The neighborhood of the Otherworld – actually, the Otherworld _was_ a neighborhood. A neighborhood of worlds, however. An endless neighborhood with a house for every person, even for those who were dead (though they were locked).

Lorenzo had his own house. Him and Brandy were to spend their days there as man and wife, forever denizens of this world, spending eternity together.

The house looked so ordinary, but that was what made it so strange. It had a living room, a bedroom and a dining room, but there were _other_ rooms too. One room was where Lorenzo could create his own world like Gaspar and Whiskers, but that was closed off as he had instead chosen the life of a Cheshire Cat. He didn't really need to create one anyway; all he had to do was say something and he could have what he needed. As for the other rooms, well, Lorenzo was actually afraid to see what they were for.

All that mattered was that he had Brandy all for himself, and they were going to live a better life here. As they both entered Lorenzo's house, the March Hare and the Dormouse also entered to throw them a housewarming party, decorating the main room with balloons and streamers that seemed to appear out of nowhere, along with loud party music that gave Brandy a headache.

Great. She was married to a pervert who kills for fun, had become the same species as him and had rubbed shoulders with the most famous fictional lunatics ever. And she was a lunatic herself, and this was all probably a weird insane hallucination.

Was it all that terrible though? These people were actually showing compassion for her, giving her freedom. She could kill - she had always wanted to kill, but just didn't know it. She even felt like killing someone_ right now_. Oh, to see some dripping blood right now would feel _arousing_.

Whiskers' blood. Yes.

"Brandy!"

It was Itty Bitty Kitty, grabbing Brandy by the back.

"Oh no, Brandy, oh no, you're…"

Kitty was not a happy childhood figure, a sign obvious from the heavy bags under her bulging eyes, her heavy breathing and the unusual smell she carried around with her.

"Brandy, don't…I _hate_ those Cheshire Cats…look…" She lifted up her dress, her worn-out, reeking dress, and revealed that, despite the fact she was meant to be a soft toy, she had teats, and cute little kittens were sucking on them.

"I…"

"Oh, Brandy…" Kitty covered the kittens and began to weep. "Please…I'm your best friend…I was with you for years…don't do this…" Her words were buried with sobs.

As the poor little cat was crying, one sentence kept running through Brandy's head over and over:

_Spare me the sob story, I'm too old for you._

Then another:

_OFF WITH HER HEAD._

With a single swipe, Kitty's misery was ended, as her head bounced on the ground like a dropped ball.

Her childhood friend was dead and gone. She had kept her safe from the boogeyman and the other monsters hiding in the corner and helped the Sandman deliver pleasant dreams. They had laughed together, cried together, sang together and she was even there when daddy went away.

Yet killing her…she had never felt so good in her life.

She could only imagine what killing Whiskers would be like.

* * *

"Brandy…Brandy…" Tears began streaming down Whisker's face again. "Why?"

"HA HA HA HA HA!"

"Lola…please…"

_Sobbing came from his bedroom._

"_Dad?"_

_He lay down on his pillow, face first, crying his eyes out like a schoolgirl._

"_What's the matter with you?"_

_He turned towards her. He smiled. He hugged her._

"_Nothing, Lola, nothing. I love you."_

"_Well…then…I guess I love you too…"_

"You expect to get sympathy from _me_? After doing this to me you expect _bygones to be bygones_? You are a disgusting creature."

"Lola?"

She turned around as far as the leash would let her and came across none other than the trenchcoated shadow.

"I can make you both human and sane, but only if the hat guy agrees on a little proposition."

The Hatter was the emperor of eavesdropping. "I'm listening."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Hey, Brandy, what's eating you?" Lorenzo rubbed Brandy's shoulders as they lay in bed together.

"Cut the crap, Lorenzo," Brandy said, pinching his paws, "I'm not buying it."

"Buying what? I'm trying to be _nice_ here!"

"Well, I seriously don't want you to hear about it."

"Why not?"

"I…I just don't."

"Oh, wait, I know, this is about Itty Bitty Kitty, isn't it?" Lorenzo held up Kitty's severed head, warm blood dripping all over Brandy's body. "It's very impressive, Brandy."

"Just shut the fuck up," Brandy snarled as she pulled the cover over her head.

"Whatever." Lorenzo shrugged and turned on the bedside TV to watch a porno. Ah, the Otherworld. Every porno ever made (and some that hadn't quite been finished yet) was at his disposal and all he had to do was say the word and he can see one. All his favourites were there; Sex Toy Story, A Bug's Sexually Active Lifestyle, Masturbators Inc, Finding Spermo…

However, he wasn't going to watch a porno just yet. On the TV, he saw not two people on top of each other, but a very angry dragon.

"Hello, Lorenzo, is Brandy with you?"

Brandy grumbled. "Now what?"

"Brandy, this is Lola. It's time to settle things once and for all. Tomorrow, we do battle."

Brandy was silent for a few seconds until she let a loud "WHAT THE HELL? It's one fucking thing after another around here!" escape her lips.

"What?" said Lorenzo, "I'm interested!"

"Well, you would be, wouldn't you?"

"Shut up, all of you! This battle is necessary, and if you refuse, I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU."

"Aw geez," Brandy rolled her eyes, "Is everyone in this place obsessed with murdering? It's kill this, kill that and insanity this, insanity that."

"You just like to complain, don't you?"

"I've got a lot to complain about, because, unlike some people, I'm not some stupid little pervert who thinks killing is fun!"

"STOP THE LOVERS' QUARREL THIS IS SERIOUS!" The couple were silent. "However, if you insist on beating up each other, you'll be happy to know that you two will be fighting on separate teams." Brandy's eyes bulged to the size of saucers. Lorenzo looked at her as if he would eat her right there and then. She shuddered and held the covers over her face again. Eventually though, Lola the dragon disappeared from the television, Lorenzo watched his porno and dropped into a masturbation-induced slumber.

* * *

Lola stepped away and took a moment to look at her claws. These claws, she would use them to murder, use them to create a vicious massacre, use them to cause blood to flow like lava from a volcano, and yet, if she was victorious, these claws would become hands, hands that wouldn't even touch a murderous weapon, hands used only for sane, human purposes. 

"Are you finished, senorita?"

Lola turned towards her mentor, who was none other than Gaspar the gecko. He had also been promised a reward; if he trained Lola well, and she won, he would be a Creator again, and reclaim his world. One drawback would be that he would have to bring in less people than he originally planned, due to the fact that Lola wanted to forget this world and everything about it. Still, all that really mattered to him was that he'd beat Whiskers a second time.

"Yes, Gaspar."

"Good," said Gaspar, "Let the training begin."

Lola wanted to be sane, to be a normal person, an unusual creature the minority of the world knew about. However, in order to be sane again, she had to win the forthcoming battle, so her anger and insanity had to be increased, so that she would be better prepared against Whiskers and the others.

"Miss Dragon, in order for your insanity to be at its peak when you're in battle, a song has been written especially for you." Gaspar brought out a radio and as he switched it on, a familiar song started to play:

_Long ago_

_I know you were walking around being nice_

_Deep inside_

_You had a little bit of madness you did hide_

_And the moment that you came into this world_

_(Now that you're a dragon babe)_

_You went nuts and madness did unfold_

_You and I know that_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_Your world is turned around_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_Your mind is turned around_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_Everything is turned around, so insane_

_What you had_

_All taken away by burning fire_

_Asylum_

_Of the twisted things and visions you did tire_

_There's a little piece of terror in your mind found_

_(everything is nasty babe)_

_You have to fight to be safe and sound_

_And you and I know that_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_Everything's gone wrong_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_It says so in this song_

_(Oh yeah yeah)_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_And your madness is strong_

_(Your madness is strong)_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_Everything's gone wrong, thing's gone wrong_

_Ooh yeah yeah_

_Ooh, he screwed up your mind and made you cry_

_And you and I know that_

_Kill that damn rabbit_

_Ooh yeah yeah_

_You're a different person, yeah_

_Kill that damn rabbit_

_(Murder that Whiskers)_

_You're a scary dragon, yeah_

_(Ooh yeah yeah)_

_Kill him, dagnabbit_

_You're a monstrous creature, yeah_

_Kill that damn rabbit, damn rabbit_

"WHISKERS, I'LL KILL YOU I SWEAR! GET OUT OF MY HEAD, DAMN YOU!"

* * *

Brandy awoke before Lorenzo, and was the first to catch the reek of sweat and ejaculate from beneath the covers. She didn't get out of bed – she fell out and her grinning feline face hit the floor. As she got up, she took off her nightgown – she didn't change her clothing at all, and felt she might as well go around naked as she was an animal now. She would certainly have to act like an animal now as she had to do battle with a snake-cum-dragon and a jaguar. 

"Hello, hello…hell…"

Wait, was that? It was.

Whiskers stood right in front of Brandy, his feet shuffling nervously. He couldn't bring himself to talk coherently at all. To see Brandy as a grinning predator not only frightened him, but reminded him of everything else that had frightened him prior to this. He was reminded of the day his mother, the soft, delicate creature that had sung him nursery rhymes and cradled him, had horribly perished. He was reminded of that fierce, gruff troll he was forced to spend most of his childhood with. He was reminded of those mocking words Gaspar had said to him. He was even reminded of those horror movies that had caused him a few restless nights, like The Muppet Christmas Carol. Yet, as traumatising and horrific as those events in his life were, to see the two women he loved as these things felt like his stomach had been pierced by flaming arrows.

"Whiskers? I thought…what is it?"

Whiskers tightly bit his lip to stop himself from crying. "Brandy…we're going to fight together in this battle…we'll be on the same team…"

Brandy was silent.

"Brandy, please fight with me. I'm…I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to kill you, oh crap…"

"But you brought me back to life, didn't you?"

"No…if you die in the Otherworld and get resurrected in the real world, you…you can't…" Whiskers just burst into tears at that point. "You can't be a Creator. Oh, Brandy, I…I could have spared you this life…I don't want you to be like Lorenzo…"

So she could have had her own world to rule? She could have had a solitary place all to herself, a lush, beautiful forest, bright, green fields…why should a man like Whiskers be offered these things but not her? She would have been a much better ruler! She wouldn't have let anyone die, in fact, the world would be all her own. That damn Hatter. He has no taste.

Maybe…maybe this was the way it should be. Perhaps it was her destiny to be this predator, perhaps Whiskers was a pawn of the Hatter to drive her insane or give her an urge to kill. She suddenly reviled Whiskers more than ever, and wanted to slash his face off, but, somehow, she had managed to restrain herself. Whiskers could tell she was frightened of him, which actually gave him a slight sense of satisfaction.

"Whiskers…I can't…"

"Oh."

Whiskers just disappeared, and his place was the March Hare.

"Brandy," said the March Hare, standing like a soldier, "you are a Cheshire Cat, and therefore you have duties to perform. Right now in the real world, people are dreaming, and we do not want them to be at all pleasant. Unfortunately, there are some Dreams going from house to house, attempting to thwart our intentions. You must impede these Dreams from creating sweet slumber. It will provide brilliant training for the battle tonight." The March Hare grabbed Brandy by the back and threw her out of the window.

Brandy landed right in another house. A strange pale creature with a long head was there muttering something Brandy couldn't understand and didn't really care about. Brandy suddenly felt the urge to pounce on it, and did so. It felt like it was made of cotton candy.

"You!" Brandy silenced the creature as she shoved her fist into its mouth; its insides were freezing, but there were no entrails. Oh well. Instead, she tried an alternative; she grabbed the creature's insides, pulled fiercely, and thus turned it inside out; it didn't even take that much effort. How she felt about it was – she didn't really want to describe it.

Lorenzo stood there, with another of the pale creatures squirming in his clutches.

Why wait? Brandy thought. They should settle this right now.

She ran at Lorenzo with her claws outstretched and her jaws wide open. All Lorenzo had to do was take a step to the left, and Brandy tripped and fell on her face.

"You expect to win the battle with skills like _that_?"

* * *

Her human form was a thing of beauty. It was so slender and pure, as well as somewhat sexually attractive. Lola had found herself staring at her human form for hours, longing to be a mere five feet four again, having hands and feet replacing her claws, and her breasts, how she wanted them back. She'd soon be in the real world again, where everything is normal and the beauty is natural. She had a whole plan set out. As soon as she returns, she would find herself a new boyfriend, maybe start a family, she was really looking for a serious relationship. Oh yes, that human figure, that lovely human figure, that's what she wanted, that's what she was determined for. 

The monsters took the human form away. They ripped off the arms and fed them to the dogs. They slowly sliced the legs off with a rusty saw. They tore off the ears. They gouged out the eyes. They licked the blood.

"WHISKERS!"

Gaspar smirked.

* * *

"Welcome one and all to the Battle of the Century!" 

Brandy held herself tightly as she entered the locker room. Yes, a locker room, as if this were some stupid sport. Lorenzo had offered to hold her paw, but she vehemently refused. She just wanted to be alone for a few minutes, hopefully giving her some time to think about what was going on. She had wanted to go somewhere different, to _be_ something different, and her wish had been fulfilled. However, now that she thought about it, she would like to be a Creator, but that chance was taken from her just as soon as she learned what one was. Yet, her new vocation gave her a chance to kill everyone who had made her life miserable; her mother, that dirty, monstrous lizard, was already on her way to Hell. Oh yes, and this battle was gong to give her more chances. Lorenzo and Whiskers are despicable, miserable creatures that don't deserve to live. She would be doing the world a favour by murdering them.

'_OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!_'

The little voice from within her head grew bigger and bigger. Maybe, the Hatter isn't someone to be feared. He's a good person, taking the form of a familiar childhood figure to reinforce this fact. What if…what if madness was good as well, but Brandy just didn't know it? All those psychiatrists, nurses, asylum workers, they were trying to impede upon something _marvellous_.

"Before we begin, let us go over the rules…"

It wasn't a battlefield – it was an enlarged basketball court. It wasn't a battle – it was a sporting event. An event which many Creators, residents of Creator's worlds and Cheshire Cats had come to, which was complete with loud Olympic-style music and which none other than the Dormouse was hosting, thanks to myriad cups of coffee.

"Two jaguars, a rabbit and a dragon are going to battle, each of them receiving their own personal prizes, but for three of them, something _special_ awaits them if they fail…"

A cloaked wraith clutching a scythe drifted onto the court, took a bow, and drifted away.

"So, let's meet the contestants!"

Whiskers walked slowly onto the court, wringing his hands, incomprehensible gibbering of fear escaping his mouth.

"So, Whiskers," sad the Dormouse, holding the microphone to the rabbit's face, "why are you fighting? What do you hope to win?"

"I just want to end this, I want to go home…Lola…Brandy…"

The crowd simultaneously 'aww'ed. Whiskers walked away to a corner of the court, while Lorenzo's entrance was welcomed with roars and cheers from fellow Cheshire Cats as Lorenzo clutched his hands together and raised them in the air triumphantly.

"Why are you fighting, Lorenzo?"

Lorenzo just smirked. The only answer needed.

The whole court trembled as the dragon entered, the ten foot tall monstrosity with bared fangs dripping with hot saliva and claws lusting for the sweet touch of flesh and blood. She looked at the Dormouse, causing him to flee rapidly. Just as the Dormouse was about to leave, he told the audience, "If Miss Lola wins, she will regain her human form, go back to the real world and be sane again," then ran away.

"Lola," Whiskers gasped.

The dragon swiftly turned to the shivering rabbit. "HA HA HA! Are you going to try and sweet-talk your way out of this?" He shook his head. "I'm going to kill you and I'm going to relish every second of it, then I'll live a normal life again, I'll forget you, I'll be just the way I was." Her head came in closer and she added in a harsh whisper, "Gaspar helped me."

_Because of **YOU** she would be better off dead. She had been driven **MAD**, condemned to a life in the loony bin, because of you. **YOU**!_

"SHUT UP!" Whiskers yelled, which shocked Lola slightly. The minute after he yelled, a sword quickly materialised in his hand. "OK, sister, I'm going to end this _now_."

"HA HA HA!"

As Brandy walked right onto the court, the Hatter ran to her in a flash, holding out a microphone. "So, Brandy, what do _you_ hope to win should you be the victor?"

Brandy swallowed. "I…I just want to go home."

"No, you don't."

"Yes…"

"Brandy, you _can't_ go home. Your mother is dead and your DNA is all over her. You'll get arrested. This is the only place with anything for you here, and you've enjoyed it so much here."

"I have not, you bastard!"

"Language. That is no way to talk to adults."

Brandy walked away from the Hatter and took a gander at her competitors. She would have to kill all three of them, and she wanted to so much. Whiskers had given her hell, Lorenzo had given her hell, but what about Lola? Perhaps she wanted to help Lola regain her humanity and sanity, but not enough to kill herself and lose the battle to her. Brandy had to keep telling herself that all that mattered was her own victory, that Lola should die. Maybe something better would await her after death; perhaps the afterlife would take pity on her. What if some sappy afterlife force takes pity on Whiskers and treats him nice as well? Oh hell, she'd just kill them all.

"I think it's wonderful for all of you to come and witness…" the Hatter began, "Oh, on with the fighting!"

Lorenzo was about to make his first move when Brandy immediately pounced on him and began to claw at his face. He grabbed her paw tightly as she tried to gouge out his eyes, and even began to indulge in a childish 'stop hitting yourself' game with her. Brandy pried herself free with her other arm and kicked Lorenzo's head. Lorenzo slugged her and tossed her to the floor.

Whiskers, meanwhile, attempted to swing the sword quickly and lop off Lola's head, but whether it was fear of her draconic madness, or the love the two had once shared together, his hands trembled as he tried to lift up the weapon. He was a bit more quick when Lola's head stretched to the ceiling and began to breathe fire in his direction, and was a lot faster when Lola had tried to pick him up with her large claw. As she swiped her claw in his direction, however, Whiskers actually managed to give himself the courage needed to wield the sword and sliced off one of Lola's fingers. As she roared in pain, the sudden movement of her tail sent Lorenzo flying backwards into a wall.

"Why you little -" Temporarily forgetting about Brandy, Lorenzo dived for the dragon, only to be whacked by her tail again, and he fell face first onto the floor. He tried to get up, but Brandy had already pounced on top of him, posed in a way that made her look like a gargoyle. She grabbed Lorenzo by the neck, and began to throttle him hard. Lorenzo bit her arm, but that only encouraged her, as she forced him against a wall and dug her claws deep into his stomach. Her claws pierced his heart, and blood began to drip out, but retreated back to the heart just as quickly as it began dripping out. The entire hole Brandy had carved also began to heal itself, reminding her of a tent being zipped up. Lorenzo didn't die; something else happened. His tail shrank in a way that looked like a fishing rod being reeled in, his fangs grew wider and more harmless and his mouth contracted back into s face in a matter of milliseconds. His fur began falling out in clumps, leaving behind pale human flesh. The transformation didn't take long to complete itself, and Lorenzo had reverted to a naked human teenager, shivering and mumbling. He then disappeared, back to the real world, never again to re-experience the thrill of a predator.

Brandy had wanted so bad to kill him, but she was satisfied by the outcome that he had suffered anyway; she revelled in the poetic justice of it all. Just as she began laughing, she was knocked over by Lola's foot.

"Brandy," Lola snarled, "Don't you think you're going to do away with Whiskers. He's _mine_." Brandy leapt on Lola and dug her claws in the dragon's stomach. As Lola screamed and staggered away, she scooped up Whiskers in one of her claws.

"Lol…" She began to squeeze Whiskers as if he were a stress ball, waiting impatiently for his head to pop. Brandy began to claw into Lola's form further, allowing her to climb up the dragon and bite her deeply in the head. Whiskers fell from Lola's grasp, only to be clutched again, this time with his arms free.

He could use his sword.

He was so close to Lola's neck that all it would take was a single swipe and he would be one step closer to victory.

But…but…Lola. He couldn't kill _her_. He loved her. After all they had been through together, he couldn't let this be her final dirge and farewell. The hovering, cloaked figure in the corner – Lola would be his. He would send Lola to Hell. Lola would spend eternity in roasting flames…oh no.

She hated him though! She wanted to kill him! That's not the type of person she should call daughter! Does she deserve to go back to the real world?

He held the sword in the air.

Lola was about to bite his head off.

He tried to use the sword.

He could feel her hot breath on his face.

He swung the sword.

Lola laughed.

He tried again.

He slit her throat.

Lola fell.

Whiskers laughed.

"Whiskers…Whisk…" she spluttered, choking on her own blood. She can't die, she can't be defeated. She should have killed them all by now. They didn't deserve to live, she did. She didn't deserve to be a monster in another world; she deserved to be a normal person. She should be back home by now, with a well-paying job and a new house, and a boyfriend, probably named Paul, Paul was a nice name. She wanted to go get married; she'd look so good in a bridal dress. She'd have children, a son, possibly named Gary. They'd be a loving family, they'd never be apart…

"Lola, I'm sorry…"

"SHUT THE FUCK U…"

Whiskers dug the sword into her head.

She was dead.

Before the cloaked spectre took her away, however, her body actually began to revert back to a naked human state. It shrank to a little over five feet, the wings, horns and tail retreated away, the scales became skin, and hair sprouted on the head. Would t make the afterlife and the fact she lost more bearable? Or worse?

"Oh dear," said the Hatter as he leapt onto the court, "It seems poor old Lola has lost! Before the battle continues, let's take a moment to meet Lola's trainer, Gaspar." As Gaspar made his way onto the court, Whiskers couldn't help but giggle. "Now, Gaspar, it seems that your training could have used some work. Since Lorenzo got beat before Lola, however, instead of sending you to the afterlife, you get a constellation prize; a melonballer that looks just like yourself!" Gaspar got just that. "I mean, who doesn't want a melonballer that looks just like them?" The Hatter waved goodbye and Gaspar fell down a trap door.

"Well, well, well," the Hatter chuckled, "It seems only you two are left. The one that finishes off the other will be victorious!"

This was it. All Whiskers had to do was eliminate Brandy and he'd get his wish; he'd leave this world forever and go back to living a normal life. Dong so would mean he'd have to kill Brandy though…he killed her once and was horribly upset about it. That was when she was no more than a cute little puppy though. Now she was a vicious monster who wanted to brutally murder everything in sight. She should be killed, she should go to Hell. What about the other Cheshire Cats though? Shouldn't they _all_ be killed? And if he did kill Brandy and leave the Otherworld forever, wouldn't he be leaving the Hatter to continue his reign? However, if he were to leave the Otherworld forever, he wouldn't have to care about the Hatter or any of his armies; he could just pretend none of this ever happened. He couldn't just kill a person he had qualms with killing before, though.

Brandy couldn't stare at Whiskers without feeling a tingle of excitement or a sense of extreme hunger. She could easily kill her mother. She could easily kill Itty Bitty Kitty. They were different. Her mother was hideous. Itty Bitty Kitty was something that should belong to childhood and childhood only. Whiskers though…she could tell he was frightened, unsure and alone. He had suffered enough, why should he be sent to Hell? He was a killer, though. He sent his own daughter insane. A voice screamed, '_KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM_' but still…he meant well, he didn't want this…could she kill him? _Should_ she kill him?

Whiskers held the sword like a baseball bat. "Well, Brandy, are you going to fight me?"

Brandy stood still.

"Are you?"

The Hatter called out. "This isn't a staring contest! Do battle!"

Whiskers did stare at Brandy though. He stared at her hard. For a minute, all his fears, all his frightful memories seemed to evaporate, and when he looked at Brandy, he saw himself. He saw everything he was feeling at that moment embodied in a physical form.

Both of them had suffered. Both of them had suffered so badly something..._horrible_ inside them had broken loose.

He stood.

She dived.

He dropped the sword.

He stared at her.

As soon as he stared at her, he instantly saw a house - his house - roasting in a hellish inferno, treating the abode like a delicious gourmet meal. He saw creatures - various creatures dancing and crawling around the roof. There was such a variety. One had three eyes and its body resembled a loaf of bread. One had the head of a duck and the body of a dog, as well as giant butterfly wings. A giant red frog with two mouths and tentacles replacing hind legs. A potato with fangs walking around on the legs of a human woman. There was another creature too - the most hideous and terrifying of all creatures there, this one dancing in a sort of Indian raindance, except this dance was to worship the flames rather than some pagan god.

That creature was Lola. During that vision she was more disgusting and horrifyng than she was as a dragon or a boa constrictor. She had a grin that made those of the Cheshire Cats seem warm and friendly. Her eyes were free from the warmth and compassion they had once had, now replaced with leaping fat devils.

Lola...

Brandy...

She didn't attack.

She just stood.

"Brandy..." Whiskers held out his arms.

Brandy scoffed. "That isn't going to work, Whiskers."

"Brandy," said Whiskers, "What are you fighting for? What do you want to win?"

"Shut up!"

"What do you want to win? Please, just tell me."

A pause.

He hugged her.

"Please...Brandy..."

"What?" The Hatter said, stomping hs foot on the ground, "This is more saccharine and emotionally manipulative as Charles Dickens! You should fight!"

Whiskers grinned. Brandy grinned wider.

"What is this?"

"There's nothing for me in the real world," Whiskers grinned while sayng that, but his voice sounded grave, "My house burned down. My daughter is dead."

"So, you're stayng at my tea party, then?"

"Oh, no no no! I have..._bigger_ ambitions..."

"Oh! Why didn't I think of it? Good thinking, old bean!"

The Hatter laughed.

Whiskers laughed.

Brandy laughed.

They all laughed.

**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA**

**Original Lyrics of Song Copyright Shapeshifters**


	20. Chapter 20

**Epilogue**

Lorenzo was back.

When he was a grinning jaguar in the Otherworld, everything was so vivid, so alive, so real, but now it all seemed so hazey and cloudy, like a dream he had forgotten crucial details about. He did feel pangs of regret and disappointment, but the whole thing still felt hazey.

All that mattered now, really, was that he was back home, with his loving family, all his CDs, his pornography, his taped Duckman episodes. It's strange; once all he could think about was screaming human corpses and exploding stomachs spurting out blood like a fountain, but these urges; they seemed subdued now.

How peaceful.

"Why didn't you die, Lorenzo?"

He didn't hear that voice. It was all in his head.

He didn't hear the hoarse breathing. It was all in his head.

And there it would stay.

He saw something that was in his head as well.

He saw a grin.

Two grins.

_Methought I walked a dismal place  
Dim horrors all around;  
The air was thick with many a face  
And black as night the ground. _

I saw a monster come with speed,  
Its face of grimmliest green,  
On human beings used to feed,  
Most dreadful to be seen.

I could not speak, I could not fly,  
I fell down in that place,  
I saw the monster's horrid eye  
Come leering in my face!

Amidst my scarcely-stifled groans,  
Amidst my moanings deep,  
I heard a voice, "Wake! Mr. Jones,  
You're screaming in your sleep!"

_Lewis Carroll_

* * *

_Disclaimer: Brandy, Whiskers, Lola Boa, Ed, Cheryl, Meryl, Gaspar, Lorenzo, Isabelle and Itty Bitty Kitty belong to Russel Marcus, Timothy Bjorkland and the Walt Disney Corporation._

_The Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Dormouse and the Cheshire Cat are the creations of Lewis Carroll, but are in the public domain._


End file.
